All I Want for Christmas
by InvisiMeg
Summary: After being invited to Lima for the holidays, Rachel finds herself becoming intrigued by one of the other houseguests.
1. Welcome to Ohio

**Okay, I know I said I'd be posting part 3 of 30 Days next, but I got this story in my head and decided I wanted to do it for the holidays. And since this one was time sensitive, I dropped the other and began writing this. Hopefully you all like it; I've definitely enjoyed writing it more than any other story in while.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1 – Welcome to Ohio<strong>

As Rachel watched the snow-covered trees pass by, she still couldn't believe she was on her way to Lima, Ohio. She'd never been to Ohio before and really had no desire to ever go, but here she was, sitting next to a guy she wasn't even really dating, listening to terrible 80's rock songs. It certainly wasn't how she'd expected to spend her holidays, but she was here, nevertheless.

When Finn had asked her to come along with him, she had initially declined his offer, not wanting to give him the wrong impression. They had only been on a few dates and they weren't serious by any means. She had no intention of becoming serious either. Finn was definitely cute and could be really sweet, but she just couldn't see herself being in a relationship with him. He was far too immature for her, and she just couldn't imagine spending her life with him.

"We're almost there," Finn said, looking over at her with a lopsided smile.

Lima was a little bigger than she thought it would be, but considering she grew up in New York City, it barely felt like a town to her. Still, it had a certain charm about it. Of course, she knew that could be because it was currently blanketed by snow, and that always made any town look a little more charming than it usually would.

"I can't wait for you to meet my mom," Finn said.

"Finn—"

"I know what you're going to say," Finn interrupted. "I know we're not, like, boyfriend and girlfriend, but I just think you'll get along with her. And Burt's really cool."

"Burt's your stepfather, correct?" Rachel asked, not wanting to get the stepfather and the stepbrother's names mixed up.

"Yeah," Finn replied. "He's sort of the only father I've ever known, though, since my dad died when I was just a baby. Him and Mr. Schue really helped me out in high school. You know, taught me what it means to be a man. To be honest, I think Kurt taught me some of that, too."

"It must be nice to have a sibling," Rachel commented. "Even if he is only a step-sibling. I always hoped my fathers would decide to adopt another child, but they decided one was enough. Of course, in some ways it was nice being an only child. They certainly spoiled me because of it."

"Well, I guess I was an only child for most of my life," Finn replied. "But we didn't really have a lot of money, so she couldn't really spoil me or anything."

"Do you wish your mom and Burt had meet sooner?" Rachel asked.

Finn shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, it kinda sucks that my mom was so lonely for a long time, but sometimes it was nice being just me and her. Hey, look."

"What?" Rachel asked, looking around.

"It's my old high school," Finn replied. "It's too bad school's not in or I'd stop in and see Mr. Schue." Finn looked over at her. "You'd really like him. He was an awesome teacher and he made Glee so much fun. It sucks that we never won Nationals when we were in the club, but he thinks they really have a chance this year."

Rachel had watched New Directions perform the one time they made it to Nationals, and unless things had changed drastically, she was doubtful that they had a chance of winning the competition. They were definitely talented, but they obviously lacked preparation. They looked like they had only come up with their set list and choreography at the last minute, which was no way to win when every other team there had been rehearsing for months. It was obviously the fault of their director; of course, she wasn't going to mention that to Finn, especially not when he seemed to look up to his former teacher so much.

They were only on the road for a few more minutes before Finn pulled into a driveway. The house wasn't exactly what she was expecting—she'd pictured it being smaller—but it was definitely a nice house. As she opened her door and stepped out of the car, she looked up at the house. Someone had gone all out with the decorations, putting lights around every window and along the roof and a large, blowup snowman in the yard.

"My mom really likes Christmas," Finn said with a laugh.

"I can tell," Rachel commented.

"I'll get your bags from the back," Finn said.

"That's okay," Rachel replied. "I'm sure I can get them; you have your own bags to worry about."

"It's no problem," Finn said as he opened the trunk and pulled both of her bags out. "You have more stuff than me."

"Let me help at least," Rachel said, taking one of the bags from him so he wasn't juggling three pieces of luggage. "The walkway may be slippery, after all; I wouldn't want you falling down because of me."

"Finn, is that you?" Rachel heard a woman ask. "It is you! I thought I heard voices out here."

"Hey, mom," Finn said, walking toward the older woman.

"I'm so happy you're here," she said, hugging Finn the best she could considering he had suitcases in both hands. "And you must be Rachel."

"Oh, yeah," Finn said. "Mom this is Rachel. Rachel, this is my mom."

"It's nice to meet you Mrs. Hudson-Hummel," she said.

"Please, call me Carole," she replied with a warm laugh. "Mrs. Hudson-Hummel doesn't exactly roll of the tongue very well, now does it?"

"Okay, Carole" Rachel said with a nod.

"Oh, Finn, she's exactly like you described," Carole said, giving Rachel an expected hug. "I'm glad you two are here. How was your trip? I can imagine it was a long drive."

"Very," Rachel replied.

"Yeah," Finn agreed.

"Well, let's get you two inside before you freeze to death out here," Carole said, leading the way toward the house. "Be careful on the porch; it's a little icy."

"I told you she'd like you," Finn said, smiling at Rachel

"Yeah," Rachel said, smiling back, though it faltered a little as she wondered if Carole had the wrong impression about their relationship.

* * *

><p>"How are you doing, Sweetie?" Carole asked as she walked into the kitchen. "Has Finn offered you anything to drink?"<p>

"I'm fine, thank you," Rachel replied.

"Did you even ask if she wanted anything?" Carole asked Finn.

"I think so," Finn said, scrunching up his face a little.

Carole shook her head a little as she told Rachel, "Make yourself completely at home. If you want anything, grab it, or if we don't have what you want, you can write it down on the little pad on the fridge. I'm going shopping later, so I can pick up anything you want. Finn told me you're vegan, so I did some research and already picked up some things for you, so don't you worry about that."

"Thank you," Rachel replied, grateful that she'd made the effort to make her feel so welcome.

"It's no big deal," Carole said with a wave of her hand. "We already have a vegetarian in the family, so it's not that much different."

Rachel assumed she meant Kurt, who Rachel had yet to meet, but was assured he would be there soon. Like her and Finn, he was coming from New York City, but he'd opted to fly to Ohio rather than drive. She'd almost met Kurt once, but he had to cancel at the last minute. She understood, though; he was studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology and, like being at NYADA, sometimes unforeseen problems came up while working on a project for school.

"Is there anything special that you drink?" Carole asked. "We have Coke; you're not a Pepsi person, are you?"

"I rarely drink soda," Rachel replied.

"Yeah, she only ever drinks water," Finn said.

"And I'm not picky about it," Rachel added.

"Well, that's easy enough," Carole said with a laugh. "We already have plenty of water in the fridge, or if you don't like it cold, there are some bottles in the pantry over there."

Rachel smiled at Carole. "Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it," Carole replied. "I'm just glad you're here. The more the merrier, right? The kids have always brought their friends and boyfriends and girlfriends around during the holidays. We've always had a nice little full house around this time. It's just nice to see someone new here. Someone with manners." She looked at Finn. "Not like that Puckerman boy."

"Mom, he's my best friend," Finn said.

"And he eats us out of house and home every year he comes over," Carole remarked. "I was so relieved when you told me he wasn't going to be here this year."

"Is that your friend Puck that you've mentioned?" Rachel wondered.

"Yeah," Finn replied. "Mom's never liked him very much."

"And if you ever meet him, you'll see why," Carole said.

"He's not _that_ bad," Finn defended.

"When he was fourteen, he asked if I needed our pool clean," Carole replied. "When I reminded him that we didn't have a pool, he asked if he could clean my pipes."

"Can you not tell this story?" Finn asked, groaned.

"When I told him they were fine, he said he didn't mean the house pipes," Carole continued.

Rachel couldn't help but giggle. "He sounds—interesting."

"Fine, he was a kinda crazy, but that was, like, seven years ago; he's not like that anymore," Finn said.

"He's still like that," Carole replied. "He's just learned to be a little more subtle about it. And that woman will slap him upside the head if he talks like that to them."

"We're home!" Rachel heard a man call out.

"We're in the kitchen!" Carole called back.

She heard two voices and footsteps, and a few moments later, two guys walked into the kitchen. Carole walked over, hugging the younger of the two, before kissing her husband on the cheek. Rachel stood back and watched as Finn and Burt greeted each other, and then Finn and Kurt gave each other a quick hug. She felt like she was intruding on a family moment, almost invisible to the two newcomers, but then Burt looked in her direction and said, "You must be Rachel. Finn's told us a lot about you."

"Hello, Mr. Hummel," Rachel greeted.

"I don't want to hear any of that Mr. Hummel nonsense," he replied. "Call me Burt; everyone else does. And this is my son Kurt." He clapped the boy on the shoulder. "I'm sure Finn's told you all about him."

"It's nice to finally meet you," Kurt said, walking over with his hand out. "I apologize that I had to cancel last week, but I'm sure you know how it is. Someone wasn't careful and they spilled coffee all over the magnificent dress I had just finished." Kurt rolled his eyes. "If a person has to sabotage someone else's work, I think that says a lot about that person, don't you."

"I understand completely," Rachel replied. "And, yes, I believe it does. If you have talent, you don't need to bring everyone else down to make yourself stand out."

"Finn tells me you're majoring in musical theater," Kurt said.

"It's been a lifelong dream of mine to star on Broadway," Rachel stated.

Kurt eyed her up and down before cocking his head slightly. "Can you sing?"

Rachel put her hands on her hips and held her head high. "You tell me. I'm sure you'll remember my rendition of Don't Rain On My Parade at the 2012 National Show Choir Championship"

She could tell as the realization hit Kurt. He clearly tried to look unaffected by what she said, but his eyes widened noticeably and his jaw dropped slightly. "Okay, fine, you can sing."

Rachel smiled. "Thank you."

Burt lightly chuckled as he wrapped his arm around his son. "I hope you kids are hungry because I'm starving."

* * *

><p>After Rachel excused herself from the conversation she was having with Kurt and Finn, she walked out of the living room and made her way to the guest room. Her bags were still sitting on the bed, so she moved them to the floor before sitting down on the mattress. She usually unpacked as soon as she arrived at her destination, but Carole had insisted on getting to know her a little better. So, Rachel decided to leave the unpacking until the end of the night, giving her ample time to spend with Finn's family.<p>

She'd nearly lost track of time while talking with Finn and Kurt, so when she saw it was nearly six o'clock, she momentarily panicked. Her fathers were getting on a plane soon to fly down to Florida, where they were taking a cruise for the holidays to celebrate their anniversary. She just hoped she wasn't too late; she always had to speak to them before they flew anywhere. She was afraid of flying, but only when it involved those she loved. She was perfectly fine whenever she flew anywhere, but she was always afraid something was going to happen to her fathers, so she always insisted on talking to them before their flight.

"We were wondering when you were going to call."

"Hello to you, too, Daddy," Rachel replied.

Leroy laughed. "Hi, Sweetie. Hold on and I'll put you on speakerphone."

"Hi, Honey!" Hiram's voice said after a few moments.

"Hi, Dad," Rachel replied.

"Are you having fun there?" Leroy asked.

"It's—it's a little weird being here," Rachel admitted. "Everyone has been very welcoming, but I still feel a little out of place. Plus, I only know Finn, so it's just a lot of new people. Finn's mom has been wonderful, though; I'm just worried Finn's given her the wrong impression about us."

"Does she think you're going to be her daughter-in-law one day?" Hiram asked.

"I hope not," Leroy interjected. "She's far too young to settle down with anyone right now."

"She's twenty-one," Hiram replied. "We were younger than her when we met."

"That was different," Leroy stated.

"How?" Hiram asked.

"Dad, Daddy," Rachel said, interrupting them.

"Sorry, Sweetie," Leroy replied. "You were saying?"

"I was saying that I don't want her to have the wrong idea about us and disappoint her," Rachel said. "She's been very nice, after all."

"And you made it clear to Finn that you didn't want to be in a serious relationship?" Hiram asked.

"I've made it very clear," Rachel replied. "I even told him that's why I was hesitant about coming with him, but he promised he wouldn't read anything into my coming with him. I'm sure he's hoping I'll change my mind, but I've made sure not to give him any false hope. I like him, but I simply can't see myself spending my life with him."

"Well, that's all you can do," Hiram said. "Just remember: if he gets hurt, it's not your fault."

Rachel still couldn't help worrying about it; she really didn't want to hurt Finn and, despite her father's words, she would feel like it was her fault. She really couldn't have been more clear, though. Before accepting his invitation to spend Christmas with his family, she sat him down and explained her feelings on it. He insisted he just didn't want her to be alone for the holidays, though, and that he understood they were keeping their relationship casual.

"You keep mentioning his mom; how's his dad?" Leroy asked.

"Step-dad," Rachel corrected. "And he's really nice."

"Nicer than us?" Hiram asked.

Rachel laughed lightly. "I don't believe that is possible."

"Good," Leroy replied. "Your father and I are rather fond of you. It would be a shame if you found a new family just because we decided to take a cruise without you."

"I wouldn't dream of it," Rachel said, her laugh growing. "And I'm glad you two are going on this cruise. You both work _so_ hard and you deserve it."

"You say that now, but what will happen if we come back and you've decided you like them more?" Hiram asked.

"Well, then, you'll obviously never see me again," Rachel joked. "So you better make the most of this phone call. It may be the last time you get to speak to me, after all."

"You wouldn't even call us to tell us?" Hiram asked.

"An email seems more convenient," Rachel replied.

Hiram gasped. "Our daughter's a traitor!"

"Well, as long as she finds a good family, that's all that matters," Leroy stated.

Rachel laughed again. "How long until you have to board?"

"Trying to get rid of us already?" Hiram asked.

"Our flight is a little delayed, so we still have a while," Leroy answered.

"Perfect," Rachel said. "I intended on calling you at five-thirty, but Kurt was regaling me with stories about his time at the Fashion Institute of Technology and I lost track of the time."

"She's already replacing us," Hiram remarked.

"And Kurt is?" Leroy asked.

"Oh, that's Finn's stepbrother," Rachel replied.

"See, she can even have the brother she's always wanted," Hiram said.

"I promise I could never replace either of you," Rachel replied. "You know how much I love you both."

"Ignore your father," Leroy said.

"Yes, ignore Leroy," Hiram replied.

Rachel smiled as she shook her head at her fathers. "I'm going to miss you two."

"We're going to miss you, too, Sweetie," Leroy replied. "We promise to make it up to you when we get home, though."

"Yes, we'll bring you lots and lots of gifts," Hiram added.

"You know I always appreciate presents," Rachel said. "But I also want some quality father-daughter time before school begins."

"We promise," Hiram replied.

"Make sure you let me know the moment you land," Rachel demanded.

"As soon as we're allowed the use of our phones again, you'll be our first call," Leroy promised.

"I love you both," Rachel said. "Please have a safe flight. And don't forget to call."

"We wouldn't dare forget," Leroy replied with a laugh.

Rachel said goodbye to her fathers before reluctantly hanging up. Logically, she knew they would be perfectly fine and that they had a better chance of being in a car wreck, but she couldn't help worrying. She knew it was silly, but they were her only family and she couldn't imagine anything happening to them.

"Hey, mom says dinner's ready," Finn said, knocking on the door, and then popping his head into the room.

Rachel gave him a smile as she set her phone on the nightstand. "I'll be right there."

* * *

><p>"So, Rachel, do you enjoy going to NYADA?" Carole asked.<p>

"Oh, yes!" Rachel replied. "It was a little overwhelming in the beginning, but I'm glad I didn't leave like so many others did. I think the first year really prepares you for what the entertainment industry is going to be like, so if you can make it through that, you'll be just fine in the future."

"I don't know how many times Finn called, thinking about coming home," Carole remarked.

"It wasn't that bad," Finn said.

"You called me at least once a week," Carole replied.

Rachel laughed lightly. "My fathers received many of those calls, as well. I can only imagine what it would be like coming from here; at least I wasn't in a new city on top of being at a new school."

"Oh, it was an experience," Kurt chimed in. "I thought I knew what New York City was going to be like, but I was so naive."

"Yeah, I kept getting lost every time I tried to take the subway," Finn said. "I think I ended up in New Jersey once. I had to get this homeless guy to help me because no one else would talk to me. It took me hours to find my way back home because I kept getting even more lost; I swore I was never going to ride it again."

"It's definitely not easy to navigate if you haven't done it most of your life," Rachel commented.

"We went there one time to visit Kurt and Finn," Burt said, shaking his head. "There's a reason they always come here now. I hate New York."

"Dad didn't have a very good experience," Kurt replied.

"Yeah, some jerk stole my wallet," Burt said. "By the time I realized it was gone, they'd charged, like, eighteen hundred dollars at some froofy clothing store. Who spends nearly two thousand dollars on clothes?"

"I would if I could," Kurt replied.

"It's nuts," Burt said.

Kurt shrugged a shoulder. "Sometimes you have to spend a lot of money if you want the best. I think Rachel would agree with me if that was her coat I saw hanging near the door."

"Every now and then I'll allow myself to indulge in something I wouldn't normally buy," Rachel admitted.

"You'll have to ignore my dad," Kurt said, looking at Rachel. "He's been wearing the same jeans and plaid shirts for the past twenty years. He doesn't believe buying new clothes unless the old are falling apart."

"And even then you sometimes have to throw it away when he's not looking," Carole added.

"I can see I'm outnumbered on this one," Burt said with a laugh.

Carole smiled and asked, "Would anyone like another breadstick?"

"Yeah, give me one," Finn said, holding his plate out.

"Do you need anything else, Rachel?" Carole asked.

Rachel shook her head and gave the older woman a smile. "Thank you, but I have more than enough. It's delicious, though."

"I'm glad you like it," Carole said. "I was a little worried."

She meant it, too. She'd protested when she found out Carole was making her something specially, insisting she could cook for herself, not wanting to be a burden on her. The other woman wouldn't hear of it, though, so Rachel eventually relented. Rachel had even tried to offer her assistance, but Carole said she was a guest and guests were supposed to relax. Eventually, Finn told her there was no use and she should just enjoy her time there because that was how his mom was with everyone.

"Well, there's certainly nothing to worry about," Rachel replied. "I wish my fathers could cook like this. Unfortunately, they can both burn water, and I'm afraid I'm not much better. There was definitely a lot of takeout at my house while I was growing up."

"That sounds familiar," Kurt said.

"Kurt's mom was always the one who cooked," Burt added. "I tried, but I gotta say, it's not easy. Kurt's a way better cook than I am, even as a kid. He used to hang out in the kitchen with his mom, though, so I guess he picked up a thing or two from watching her."

"At least you tried," Carole said, patting Burt's hand.

"Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do," Burt replied.

When the doorbell rang a moment later, most of the people sitting at the table glanced around at each other. Rachel looked over at Finn, whose eyebrows were knitted in confusion.

"I wonder who that could be," Carole said as she set her napkin on the table and stood up.

"Tell them we don't want what they're selling," Burt said, getting out of his seat, and following Carole toward the front door.

"I assume you're not expecting anyone," Rachel commented.

Finn shrugged. "Not that I know of. My friend, Sam, said he might stop by, but he's got tickets to some concert tonight, so I know it ain't him."

"That sounds like Quinn," Kurt said, standing, and following his parents

"Who is Quinn?" Rachel asked.

"She's—sort of my ex-girlfriend," Finn answered, nearly mumbling the last part.

Rachel frowned slightly; she'd expected her to be a cousin or something. "Oh."

"I knew she was coming for Christmas, but I didn't think she'd be here for a few days," Finn said.

"Well, I guess she decided to come early," Rachel replied. "Maybe you should go say hi."

"Yeah," Finn said, scooting his chair back. "C'mon; you can meet her."

"That's alright," Rachel replied. "I don't want to intrude."

"You wouldn't be," Finn said, obviously wanting her to go with him. "I really think you'll like her."

Rachel sighed softly and then nodded after a moment, taking her napkin off her lap, and setting it next to her plate. Finn smiled when she stood, and Rachel followed him as he turned, walking toward the door, where everyone else was gathered.

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><p><strong>Since I know some of you will probably ask, this story is going to be seven chapters and I'll post twice a week, so it'll be finished on Christmas Eve.<strong>

**As always, reviews are much appreciated.**


	2. Curious

**Chapter 2 – Curious**

Rachel turned over for the third time and looked at the clock. It was a little after six and she knew no one else in the house would be up yet, so she was hoping to fall back asleep. However, her internal clock was making it difficult. She had been getting up at 6am since middle school, and she almost always woke up at that time, with or without an alarm. The only exception was if she stayed up well past her normal bedtime, but even then she sometimes found herself waking up at her usual time.

After turning several more times, Rachel finally decided there was no point in lying there any longer. She clearly wasn't going to fall back asleep no matter how hard she tried. So, rather reluctantly, she pushed the covers aside and shivered at the loss of warmth as she turned on the bedside light.

She usually took a quick shower first thing in the morning before going to the gym, which was in the basement of her dorm building. She knew she was going to have to forego her usual exercise while she stayed at the Hummel-Hudson household, though. She'd asked Finn if they had an elliptical or treadmill, but the only they had was a weight bench, and it was far too cold to go for a morning run. So, completely abandoning her typical morning routine, she checked her hair in the mirror to make sure she didn't look terrible, just in case some else happened to be a morning person, and then she headed for the door.

When she walked out of the room, the house was completely silent except for the slight creaking of her door. As she suspected, everyone else still appeared to be asleep. Thankfully, though, the only bedroom on the first floor was the guest room, so she hoped she wouldn't wake anyone else up.

She kept through the dark toward the kitchen, where she turned on the light. She was momentarily blinded by it, quickly turning it off and turning on the other, less bright light, instead. Wrapping her arms around herself, she shuffled across the kitchen floor, walking over to the coffeemaker. Thankfully, she'd asked Carole the night before where they kept the coffee, so she easily found the bag and began filling up the coffee filter.

"Hey."

Rachel jumped at the sudden sound, spilling some of the coffee grounds, and turned around to find Quinn standing just inside the kitchen, her hair slightly mussed, and a sleepy look on her face.

"I'm so sorry," Rachel said. "I was trying not to wake anyone."

Quinn shrugged and took a few steps into the room. "I was already awake. I saw the light on and thought I would see who it was. I knew it wasn't Finn—he never gets up before nine—but sometimes Kurt gets up early."

Rachel frowned slightly, wondering just how many times Quinn had stayed there to know their morning routine so well.

"Are you sure I didn't wake you?" Rachel asked. "I can go back into the bedroom if you would like to get more sleep."

Quinn shook her head. "You didn't."

Rachel stood there awkwardly for several moments before clearing her throat and asking, "Would you like some coffee?"

"Sure," Quinn softly answered as she walked over to the island and took a seat on one of the stools.

As Rachel went about making the coffee, she could feel Quinn's eyes on her. They hadn't really spoken that much the night before—the other girl seemed fairly quiet from what she could tell—so Rachel wasn't really sure what to say to her. All she really knew was that the blonde was Finn's ex-girlfriend and that she went to high school with him and Kurt, but she wasn't really sure why the girl was there or why she wasn't with her own family for the holidays.

"I hope it won't be too strong for you," Rachel commented. "I've been told on more than one occasion that I'm terrible at making coffee."

"Coffee can never be too strong," Quinn replied.

Rachel smiled as she hit the button to begin brewing the coffee. "That's what I say, but everyone seems to think I'm crazy. My roommate last year told me I should simply pour a little water into the coffee and save myself the time of brewing it."

"Is that how you and Finn met?" Quinn asked as Rachel turned around, leaning her back against the counter. "Do you go to school together?"

"Yes," Rachel replied. "We had a dance class together last semester."

Quinn snorted. "Did the teacher decide to retire when they saw how bad he dances?"

"Finn's not _that_ bad," Rachel replied, causing the other girl to raise her eyebrow. "Okay, he's—"

"Terrible," Quinn finished for her.

Rachel didn't verbally agree, but she didn't exactly disagree. Finn tried hard in class, but he was not a very good dancer. If Rachel was being honest, she didn't think he was a great singer, either. She'd heard him sing several times before formally meeting him, and while he had gotten better since being at NYADA, she couldn't imagine him making a career out of it. Considering how competitive NYADA was, she really wasn't entirely clear how he got into the school based on his talent.

"So, what are you studying there?" Quinn asked.

"Musical theater," Rachel answered.

Quinn nodded. "I guess you want to be on Broadway?"

Rachel smiled and said, "It's been my lifelong dream. I attended my first Broadway show when I was four, and before the first song was over, I knew that's what I wanted to do. I had my fathers enroll me in singing lessons the next day, and I've been working toward my dream ever since."

"You're lucky you can sing," Quinn commented.

"Yes, it certainly would have put a damper on my dreams if I couldn't," Rachel said with a light laugh. "Were you in Glee Club with Finn and Kurt?"

"Yeah," Quinn answered.

"So you can sing as well, then," Rachel replied.

"Not very well," Quinn said, shaking her head.

"I'm sure you have a lovely voice," Rachel replied. "You wouldn't have been in Glee if you couldn't sing."

Quinn looked at her for a moment before glancing to the side and saying, "I think your coffee is done."

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the door just as Rachel put on the final touches of her makeup. She put the cap back on her lipstick and glanced at herself in the mirror before walking over to the door. When she opened it, Finn was standing there in what looked like a very old t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans.<p>

"Hey," Finn greeted her. "Burt wants me to help him at the garage this morning, so I'm gonna be gone most of the day. I tried to get out of it, but he's got a lot of cars that need fixed by the end of the day, so he can close the rest of the week."

"That's okay," Rachel replied.

"Are you sure?" Finn asked. "I could try talking to him again. I hate leaving you here."

"I'll be fine," Rachel replied. "It'll give me a chance to get to know your family better."

"Okay," Finn said, giving her a smile. "I guess I'll see you around dinner, then."

Rachel nodded. "Have a good day, Finn."

"You too, Rachel," Finn said before he turned and walked down the hall.

Rachel sighed softly as she closed the door. She walked toward the bed and sat down on the edge, picking up her phone from where she'd laid it earlier. When she looked at it, she saw that she had several texts from her fathers and opened up the message to find several pictures they'd taken in Florida. She smiled at the beautiful scenery and then laughed when she saw one with her fathers building a sandcastle like two children. The last text was one from Leroy saying they were boarding their cruise ship and that they'd email her later that night with all the details of their vacation.

She set her phone back on the mattress and walked to the window, looking outside. It was snowing steadily, but thankfully the roads were clear, except for a light coating of snow. It had snowed a lot overnight, so there was now what looked like about five inches of snow covering the rooftops. Unfortunately, the sidewalks were covered, but she wasn't going to let that stop her. She didn't have a car there since Finn drove them, but she decided she was going to go into town, which meant she was going to have to walk if she wanted to go.

Turning away from the window, Rachel grabbed her bag before heading for the door. She wasn't sure where anyone was, so she walked into the kitchen first and found it empty. She then turned on her heel and walked to the living room, where Kurt was sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels, and shaking his head.

"Is there nothing good on television?" Rachel asked.

"It's all terrible," Kurt replied.

Rachel laughed lightly. "I know. Unfortunately, I had the flu last month, and I was stuck in my room with nothing to watch but really terrible daytime television. I only found something to watch when I decided to subscribe to Netflix."

"You didn't have it before?" Kurt asked.

Rachel shook her head. "I'm usually far too busy for it. Not only do I have classes to attend, but I usually practice several hours a day for those classes, and on some weekends I sing for a band my friends are a part of."

"Do you sleep?" Kurt asked.

"Six hours every night," Rachel stated with a nod. "Some people find it strange, but I like to keep a busy schedule. It'll be great preparation for when I'm a Broadway star, doing two shows on some days, while working on my album."

"I suppose that's true," Kurt replied. "But don't you ever relax?"

"It's not as if I never have fun," Rachel said. "And when school isn't in session, such as right now, I usually take a break from rehearsing, so I have much more free time to do whatever I want."

"So, what are you plans for today?" Kurt asked. "You know, since you have all this free time."

"I was thinking of walking into town," Rachel answered. "I was actually coming in her to let you know I was going out. Since Finn is gone for the day, I thought I would explore a little."

"Have you looked out there?" Kurt asked.

"Walking in a little snow won't hurt me," Rachel said. "I am a New Yorker, after all."

"Why don't we both go?" Kurt suggested. "Since you don't even know where you're going."

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked.

"Because I'll be missing so much here?" Kurt retorted, gesturing toward the TV. "I'm positive." He stood up as he turned the TV off. "This way, you won't get lost and I won't be quite as bored. It's perfect, really."

"Well, in that case, I'd be happy if you came along," Rachel replied. "Oh, but will you be able to borrow a car?"

"No need," Kurt said. "My SUV is in the garage. Only Finn was crazy enough to bring his truck to the city. I'm sure he spends a fortune on parking just to drive it a few times a year."

"I was rather surprised when he said he could drive us down here," Rachel commented. "I thought he meant renting a car, but then he said he had a vehicle."

"Yes, crazy, right?" Kurt asked. "I don't see who would want to be stuck in a car for that long when you can fly here in only a few hours."

"I don't know; it was kind of nice in a way," Rachel replied. "Though, I do wish I could have chosen the music."

"Eighties rock?" Kurt asked.

Rachel nodded. "The whole way here."

"And that is why I choose to fly," Kurt replied, walking around the couch. "Two hours and it's over."

Rachel laughed lightly as Kurt walked to the coat rack. "Do you think Quinn would want to come with us?"

"She's out and I don't know when she'll be back," Kurt said shrugging.

"Oh," Rachel said, following Kurt's lead and getting her coat. "I didn't know she had left."

"I think she went to see her friends," Kurt replied with a shrug.

"Well, then, I guess it will be just the two of us," Rachel said, giving Kurt a smile.

* * *

><p>"This store looks promising," Rachel said as she and Kurt walked up to a shop with just her type of clothing displayed in the window.<p>

Kurt shook his head. "It may look nice from here, but trust me when I say it's cheaply made. I once bought a scarf from here and it was falling apart before I'd even left the mall."

"Well, that's disappointing," Rachel replied.

"Welcome to the Lima Mall," Kurt remarked.

"How about that store?" Rachel asked, pointing to the next one.

Kurt shrugged and said, "That one isn't as bad."

"Let's go, then," Rachel said, grabbing his arm, and pulling him toward the entrance.

Rachel didn't even really know what she was looking for, but she did know she was in the mood to shop. She just loved winter clothes and her fathers always used to take her shopping around that time of the year. So, even though she didn't really need anything, she couldn't help looking around.

"This is cute," Kurt said, heading straight toward a black and grey dress, and looking at the price tag. "Not that cute."

Rachel laughed lightly as she walked toward another dress on the next rack over. "How about this one?"

"Is it as outrageously priced as this one?" Kurt asked.

"It's half off, actually," Rachel said, looking at the price, and then picking the dress up. "I think I'll try it on."

"Oh no," Kurt said.

Rachel looked over her shoulder to find him ducking behind a display. She looked around to see who he was trying to hide from, but there were so many people around that it was impossible to know.

"What's going on?" she asked, following Kurt.

"Just someone I would rather not have to talk to right now," Kurt replied.

Rachel nodded and threw the dress over the nearest rack of clothing. "Well, let's get out of here, then."

"But the dress," Kurt said, looking to where she'd tossed it.

"Isn't that important," Rachel replied.

She may have only known Kurt a few days, but she liked him, and she wasn't going to make him stay there if he was uncomfortable. She knew if the situation was reversed, she certainly wouldn't want to have to stay around. She had no idea who he didn't want to speak to, but she assumed it was probably an ex-boyfriend, and given what he'd said the previous day about all his relationships ending in disaster, she could understand why he would want to avoid a reunion.

"You weren't spotted, were you?" Rachel asked as they walked away.

"No," Kurt said, looking over his shoulder. "If I had been, I'm sure he would have called out my name."

"Bad breakup?" Rachel asked.

"The worst," Kurt replied. "I thought he was the love of my life, and that we were going to spend the rest of our lives together. Then he cheated on me and blamed it on me."

Rachel frowned. "How was it your fault that he cheated on you?"

"Because I was so busy in New York and he was here," Kurt replied. "He didn't think I was giving him enough attention, so he found it elsewhere. He broke my heart and tried to say it was my fault. And to make it worse, he was the one who encouraged me to follow my dreams, and when I did, he punished me for it."

"Maybe it's a good thing it happened," Rachel said. "I'm sure the longer you were with him, the more hurtful it would have been. At least you saw his true colors before you married him or decided to start a family together."

"I just tell myself it's his loss," Kurt said with a shrug.

"Definitely," Rachel agreed. "So, where should we go now?"

"Anywhere but there," Kurt said, motioning toward the store they'd just left.

As soon as they were far enough away from the store, Rachel paused. Kurt took a few more steps before turning around and giving her a questioning look. Rachel had been thinking about getting Quinn a present, and she wanted to ask him if there was some place that would have something she would like, but the thought sounded a little silly. She didn't know the girl, after all, and she didn't know if it would be weird to get her a present. On the other hand, she got a little something for everyone else and she didn't want Quinn to feel left out.

"What is it?" Kurt asked.

"I just—" Rachel cleared her throat. "What does Quinn like?"

"What does she like?" Kurt repeated.

"Yes," Rachel replied. "Since I didn't know she was going to be here, I didn't get her a gift, and it only seems appropriate to get her one."

"I doubt she expects you to get her a Christmas present," Kurt said, shaking his head.

"I know, but it seems rude not to," Rachel replied. "I don't really know her very well, though, so I thought you could tell me what kind of gift would be best for her."

"I don't know," Kurt said with a shrug. "She likes to read."

"Okay, a book," Rachel replied, smiling. "I'm sure there's a bookstore in the mall, right?"

"Yeah," Kurt said. "It's at the other end of the mall."

"Well, then, let's go there," Rachel said, resuming walking.

"So, does that mean you got me a present?" Kurt asked, falling in step beside her.

"Of course," Rachel replied. "I wouldn't come empty handed when I've been invited to spend Christmas with you and your family. I had Finn describe what each of you were like and used my best judgment to choose what I hope is the perfect gift."

She didn't really know why he'd left out the fact that Quinn was going to be there. She wanted to ask him about it, but she hadn't had the chance to speak with him about it yet. She figured it must be because she was his ex-girlfriend, but considering she'd made it perfectly clear that they were not in a serious relationship, she felt like there must be something else to it. Or he simply didn't listen to her all those times she talked about not wanting to be serious and thought she might not come if she knew the other girl was going to be there.

"I'll never complain about more presents," Kurt said.

"Given Finn's description of you, I didn't think you would," Rachel replied, laughing lightly.

* * *

><p>By the time they got back to the house, it was far later than Rachel had expected to stay out. She'd had a lot of fun with Kurt, though, and had lost track of time. Even though she had just met him, it felt like she'd known him for years, which was very rare for her to experience. She was just thankful he lived in the city; she really wasn't close with that many people and could always use another friend.<p>

After they'd gotten back, she took a quick nap before quickly wrapping Quinn's book and putting it with the other presents. She'd never heard of the book before, but it sounded interesting and one of the employees had recommended it. Kurt hadn't been very sure about what genre Quinn liked, so Rachel didn't have a lot to go on. But Rachel always believed it was the thought that counted, and she did her best, which was all she could do.

"Come in," Rachel said when there was a knock at the door.

"Hey, Rachel," Finn greeted. "I'm gonna go hang out with my friend for, like, an hour, and mom wants me to pick up some food on the way back. Do you wanna come?"

"I would, Finn, but I'm a little tired from today," Rachel said.

Finn nodded. "That's fine; I thought you might be. Kurt said you guys walked around forever."

"I'll see you when you get back," Rachel said.

"Yeah," Finn replied, giving her a smile. "Well, I'll see you."

After Finn walked off, Rachel grabbed her lavender, zip-up hoodie from the bed and put it on as she walked out of the bedroom. Burt and Carole kept the house significantly cooler than she kept her dorm room, so she always felt cold. Thankfully, she'd brought clothing for any occasions, so she had quite a few long sleeved shirts, sweaters, and cardigans with her.

As she left her room, she could hear the television on in the living room and laughter coming from the kitchen. She stood there for a moment as she pondered which direction to go, but she eventually decided on going to the kitchen first. When she walked in, she found Carole, Quinn, and Kurt all standing at the island. Kurt was mixing something in a bowl while Carole dumped in what looked like flour into it.

"What are you making?" Rachel asked, walking up, and stopping next to Quinn.

"We just started baking cookies for tomorrow," Carole answered.

Rachel nodded; she knew they were having a Christmas party the next day for family and friends. According to Finn, it was something they'd done every year since becoming a family. She was a little nervous about meeting so many new people at once, but she tried to look at is as preparation for the future. After all, as a Broadway star, she would have to attend many functions where she didn't know anyone, so the next day would be practice.

"And don't worry, I had Kurt look up a recipe online for vegan chocolate chip cookies on his computer," Carole said.

"You don't have to do that," Rachel said, shaking her head. "I don't want to be any trouble."

"It's no trouble at all," Carole replied. "We're already making six different kinds, so what's one more?"

"Well, at least let me help," Rachel said, walking over to the sink to wash her hands.

"You don't have to," Carole replied. "You're our guest."

"I want to," Rachel insisted. "I've always helped my father make cookies for Christmas, so I'm quite good at baking."

"Aren't you Jewish?" Kurt asked.

"Since my fathers were raised with different faiths, we've always celebrated both Christmas and Hanukkah as a family," Rachel replied.

"Chrismukkah, huh?" Kurt asked.

Rachel laughed. "Something like that."

Kurt shrugged and said, "I guess anything that gets you more presents is a good thing."

"Kurt doesn't believe in the religious aspects of Christmas," Carole said.

"Can you really blame me?" Kurt asked.

"Kurt, that phone of yours is about to shake off the table!" Burt called out from the other room.

"That's probably Mercedes," Kurt said, setting the bowl on the table.

"Make sure you ask if her parents are coming tomorrow," Carole said, following Kurt as he walked toward the living room.

Rachel picked up the bowl Kurt had sat down and began stirring it since it was clear Kurt was going a lackluster job. She glanced up at Quinn, who turned the recipe around and looked at it.

"So, have you been to their Christmas party before?" Rachel wondered.

"Most of them, actually," Quinn answered. "I think all that's left is the nuts."

"What?" Rachel asked.

"The cookies," Quinn said, smiling.

"Oh, of course," Rachel replied, feeling a little stupid as she watched Quinn tear open the package of walnuts and dump them into the cookie dough. "If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been friends with Finn and Kurt?"

Quinn shrugged and threw the empty package to the side. "I guess I've known them since our freshman year. I didn't really become friends with Kurt until our senior year, though."

"And Finn?" Rachel wondered.

"I guess since sophomore year," Quinn replied. "But I don't know if you'd really call us friends."

"The Jones's are coming tomorrow," Carole said, walking into the kitchen. "Kurt forgot to have Mercedes ask them, but they thankfully hadn't made any other plans."

"It'll be nice to see them again," Quinn commented.

As Quinn and Carole talked, Rachel began mixing the nuts into the rest of the dough. Every time she talked to Quinn, she became more and more curious about why she was there. Rachel assumed she was there because she was friends with Finn and Kurt, but now she wasn't so sure, which left Rachel wondering why Quinn seemed so at home there.


	3. Truth and Traditions

**Chapter 3 – Truth and Traditions**

"Is this even?" Rachel asked.

"It's fine," Kurt replied, glancing over at her.

"I don't want it to be crooked," Rachel said, looking over her shoulder at Kurt. "Your parents entrusted us with decorating and I want to do a good job."

Kurt stopped what he was doing and turned around to look at the garland. "Move it up an inch."

"Better?" Rachel asked after doing what he said.

Kurt nodded. "It's even."

"Thank you," Rachel said, taping it up so it wouldn't fall.

"And it doesn't have to be perfect," Kurt remarked. "If they were that worried about it, they would have decorated a month ago." Kurt set a snow globe on the age of the mantle. "They do this every year. They spend so much time decorating the outside of the house and the tree that they put off the rest of it until it's time to have the Christmas party and then they make me, Finn, and Quinn do it because they're too busy with everything else."

"So—Quinn was here last year, too?" Rachel asked, looking back at him.

"Finn never told you about her, did he?" Kurt asked.

"No," Rachel said, stepping off the stool.

"I guess I'm not surprised," Kurt remarked.

"Why do you say that?" Rachel wondered.

"He's probably still embarrassed by what he did," Kurt said with a shrug.

"What he did?" Rachel replied questioningly.

Kurt tossed the garland he was holding onto the couch and walked toward Rachel. "I figured he must have told you by now, but I guess not, so I'll tell you. Quinn moved in here our senior year of high school."

Rachel frowned. "Why did she do that? Did something happen to her parents."

"They kicked her out," Kurt said, shaking his head. "Okay, you know Finn and Quinn dated in high school, right?"

"Yes, he said she was his ex-girlfriend," Rachel replied.

"Well, they were the king and queen of the school for nearly two years," Kurt explained. "Finn was the quarterback and she was the head Cheerio. Then, one day, they just broke up. No one knew why; Finn wouldn't even tell me."

"What does that have to do with her moving in here?" Rachel wondered.

"I'm getting there," Kurt replied, waving her off. "It happened during one of our Glee Club meetings. We were all there and Finn was arguing with Santana about something. I don't even know remember what they were going on about, but she was goading, as usual."

"Santana?" Rachel asked.

"She was one of the other Cheerios," Kurt explained. "She, Quinn, and this other girl, Brittany, were the three most popular girls. Quinn wasn't always nice, but Santana was the biggest bitch in the school. Really, you'd have to meet her to understand. Santana Lopez cannot be properly explained."

"Okay, this girl Santana was goading Finn," Rachel said.

"Yes, well, Finn said something he wasn't supposed to," Kurt said, pausing for what Rachel assumed was dramatic effect. "He outed Quinn."

"Outed as in—"

"As in she's a lesbian and that's why they broke up," Kurt said, nodding. "I'm only telling you this now because everyone knows; she isn't exactly in the closet now and would tell you if you asked her. At the time, however, only Finn knew. Everyone was shocked; at first, I thought he was wrong, but then I saw the look on Quinn's face. She was in complete shock and looked terrified. It didn't take long for the whole school to hear about it and word to get back to her parents."

"So they kicked her out just like that?" Rachel asked.

"From what I've heard, they were both very strict Christians, so their daughter being gay wasn't something they would tolerate," Kurt replied.

"She stayed at Brittany house for a few days, and then Finn confessed to Carole about what he did. She made him immediately call Quinn and tell her she could live here. At first, she declined, but he begged her to move in. I think he was hoping it would make him feel less guilty about it. She sort of became another family member, so she comes here for the holidays."

"That's—" Rachel shook her head. She couldn't imagine being kicked out by her family like that. She knew it happened, but she'd never actually met anyone that had experienced it. She just couldn't fathom what it would be like to not have unconditional love from her parents. To be afraid that they would disown you if they didn't like something you did or even who you were.

"Has she ever spoken to her family again?" Rachel wondered.

"Not that I know of," Kurt replied.

"I can't imagine how hard that must have been for her," Rachel said. "I wonder why Finn didn't tell me."

"Like I said, I think he still feels bad about it," Kurt replied. "His mom was really mad at him for it."

"Did Quinn ever forgive him?" Rachel asked.

"I think so," Kurt said. "They're not that close, but they're not exactly unfriendly. I know he's apologized multiple times. He even performed songs during Glee saying how sorry he was." Kurt paused for a moment. "He likes you, you know? He probably didn't want you thinking less of him if you knew."

"Well, I can't say I'm happy to hear what he did, but people do make mistakes," Rachel replied.

"Sometimes Finn doesn't think before he speaks," Kurt stated.

"I've noticed," Rachel said, smiling slightly. "I wish he'd told me, though. I've been wondering for the past few days why she was here, but I was afraid to ask anymore."

"Well, now you know," Kurt said, picking up the garland he'd previously discarded.

"Now I know," Rachel whispered, thinking about Quinn, and how horrible it must have been to go through such an ordeal.

* * *

><p>Rachel was looking out of the living room window when she heard someone walk into the room. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw that it was Quinn, who she gave a smile to. With a soft sigh, she looked back toward the window, enjoying the calm outside. It had begun snowing again, so there were very few people driving on the streets, which were now blanketed.<p>

Living in New York City, she was no stranger to the snow, but she very rarely got to stand by her window and enjoy it there. Here, however, everything looked so pristine and quiet. There weren't hundreds of people walking along the sidewalks and cars bumper to bumper on the streets. As much as she loved the energy of the city, sometimes it was nice to just get away. To go somewhere that wasn't so hectic and crowded.

"See anything interesting out there?" Quinn asked.

"No," Rachel said, smiling to herself, and then looking over her shoulder at the blonde. "That's why I'm enjoying it."

"I imagine it's different than your usual view," Quinn commented.

"Quite," Rachel replied, turning around so she could properly talk to Quinn. "Have you ever been to New York?"

"Once," Quinn answered. "Just for a day, though."

"It's nice here," Rachel said. "Don't get me wrong, I love New York City and can't imagine living anywhere else in the world, but every now and then it's kind of nice to get away. Especially around this time of the year. My fathers once rented a cabin for the holidays and it's still once of my favorite memories. I think it was the first time I really got to play in the snow. We built a snowman that was bigger than me, which I guess is saying a lot considering my short stature, but it's something I'll never forget."

"I had a Christmas like that," Quinn replied. "Usually my grandmother came to Lima, but one year we went to her house in Illinois. I think it was the last year my sister was still living at home. She went to college the next fall, and then she would only visit Christmas Day and spend the rest of the time with her boyfriend's, now her husband's, family. But it was the one Christmas I remember having fun. At least while I was growing up."

Even if Rachel didn't know Quinn that well, she could still detect the sadness in her eyes as she spoke about her family. She wished there was something she could do to make it better, but she knew it was one of those things that could never be made better. Maybe the hurt of it would ease a bit over time, but she knew that feeling of rejection would probably never go away for Quinn, and Rachel hated that. She hated that anyone would ever be made to feel that way.

"Are you parents enjoying their cruise?" Quinn asked after a few moments of silence.

"Oh, yes," Rachel said. "I received a very enthusiastic email last night from them. I'm actually a little jealous of them after seeing the pictures."

"What made them go during the holidays?" Quinn wondered.

"Their thirtieth anniversary is on Sunday," Rachel replied.

"Wow," Quinn said. "That's a long time."

Rachel smiled and said, "Yes, it is. They met their final year of college and have been in love ever since. They were finally able to make it official four years ago. It was nothing extravagant, but all of their loved ones were there. I was the best man for both of them, or the best woman as I liked to call it."

"You're lucky you have them," Quinn stated.

"I know," Rachel replied. "I've always known how lucky I am, and as I've gotten older, I've only grown to appreciate them even more. Most of the people I know aren't very close with their parents, which always seemed strange to me while I was growing up, but I've come to realize that not all parents are like mine."

"No, they're definitely not," Quinn remarked.

"Kurt," Rachel paused, unsure of whether or not she should say anything, "he told me about what happened to you in high school. What your parents did." She shook her head. "I'm sorry you had to go through it. I really can't imagine experiencing something like that, especially when you weren't even out of high school."

"Some people have a lot worse," Quinn said, shrugging. "At least I had some place to go."

"I know, but it still must have been scary," Rachel replied before shaking her head. "I'm sorry; this is probably the last thing you want to be reminded of and talk about right now. Sometimes I don't know when to stop talking. Really, it's been a problem since the day I learned to form full sentences. You can even ask my fathers."

Quinn laughed, causing Rachel to smile. Rachel's eyes followed the blonde as she walked up, standing next to her as she looked outside.

"It's beautiful," Quinn said, glancing at her as Rachel turned to look out the window once again. "I've always liked the snow."

"Me too," Rachel replied. "Though, sometimes not as much when I have to walk in it. I have many embarrassing stories, most of which end with me sitting in the snow. In my more spectacular falls, I've even been known to take out those around me."

Quinn laughed again and Rachel breathed a slight sigh of relief. She was afraid she'd made Quinn sad with talk of her parents, and she would gladly regale her with embarrassing stories if it helped. When Quinn looked over at her, though, the sadness seemed to be gone from her eyes.

"People will start arriving soon," Quinn said.

"Okay," Rachel replied. "Does Carole need any more assistance with anything?"

Quinn shook her head. "Everything's ready. You should enjoy the quiet while it lasts."

"I can do that," Rachel said, nodding, and then smiling at Quinn.

* * *

><p>After excusing herself from a conversation with an incredibly boring guy, Rachel made her way toward the refreshments. Her mouth was a little dry from talking with so many people, and she needed some water. And possibly to get away from the party for a bit, so she could have a break from talking.<p>

Rachel normally loved taking, especially about herself, but since no one there knew her, she was having the same conversation over and over. Everyone wanted to know where she went to school, which usually led to them asking about her relationship with Finn, and then they would always ask how she liked it in Ohio. Some would ask about living in New York City and she was occasionally asked what she was studying, but for the most part, she'd been answering the same few questions all evening.

"So, I've heard you're Finnept's girlfriend," Rachel heard as she reached for a bottle of water.

"Excuse me?" Rachel asked the dark haired girl.

The girl rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over chest. "Do I need to ask in Spanish?"

"Let me guess, you're Santana," Rachel said, setting the bottle of water on the table.

She hadn't met her yet, but she knew from Kurt that she was at the party. She thought he had exaggerated when talking about her, but she could already tell that he hadn't. And when the other girl narrowed her eyes and began looking her up and down, Rachel had the sudden feeling that she was being judged.

"What's Finnept been telling you about me?" Santana asked.

"Actually I heard about you from both Kurt and Quinn," Rachel replied. "Finn hasn't said anything about you."

"He best not be or I will go all Lima Heights on his ass," Santana said.

Rachel frowned slightly and said, "I have no idea what that means."

"It means he'll get his ass kicked," Santana said, taking a step closer toward her.

"I can assure you that Finn has never said anything negative about you," Rachel assured her. "He's never had anything but good things to say about his former Glee Club friends."

"I thought you were getting me some punch."

"Sorry, Britt," Santana said, and Rachel could see her entire demeanor change.

"Hi," the blonde said. "I'm Brittany. Who're you?"

"Rachel," she replied. "It's nice to meet you, Brittany."

"Oh, you're Finn's girlfriend," Brittany said, smiling at her.

"Actually, Finn and I are just friends," Rachel replied. "Well, we went on a few dates, but we're keeping things simple."

"Me and San did that for a while," Brittany remarked. "She was afraid people would make fun of her if they found out we were having sex. Is that how you feel? Are you afraid people are going to make fun of you for having sex with Finn?"

Despite her darker complexion, Rachel was fairly certain she could see Santana blushing. Rachel was pretty sure she was also blushing, and she was too shocked to answer the other girl, who was just looking at her, obviously waiting for her to say something.

"I—Finn and I have not—we haven't," Rachel shook her head. "I'm not afraid; I simply don't think Finn and I are a good match romantically."

"Why are you here, then?" Brittany asked.

"My fathers were going away for the holidays and Finn didn't want me being alone," Rachel answered.

"Fathers?" Brittany asked.

"I was raised by two men," Rachel explained.

"Oh!" Brittany said. "That's really cool! I hope San and I have kids someday. I know she'd be a really great mom even if she doesn't think so."

"Why don't you go back to the kitchen and I'll bring you that punch," Santana said, clearly trying to get the other girl to stop talking.

"Okay, but make sure you get the red punch, not the blue," Brittany replied before turning to Rachel. "The blue tastes gross and it made me throw up last year."

"I'll keep that in mind if I decide to get some punch," Rachel said.

"Someone spikes the blue punch every year," Santana stated as the blonde walked away. "It'll get you drunk off your ass. Although, Puck isn't here, so it's probably just punch this year."

"From everything I've heard about this Puck guy, I feel as if I should be thankful he isn't here," Rachel commented.

"Only if you don't want to be leered at all night," Santana said with a shrug.

"I could certainly do without that," Rachel replied.

"Hey, guys," Quinn said, coming up to them.

"Hello, Quinn," Rachel greeted, giving her a smile.

"What are you two talking about?" Quinn asked, looking at Santana.

"Relax, Q," Santana replied. "I was just getting Britt some punch."

Quinn hummed and watched Santana as she went about getting a cup and filling it with some of the red punch. Rachel wasn't exactly sure what was going on as she looked between the two girls. It seemed as if Santana was going as slow as possible and Rachel could tell it was probably to annoy Quinn. Eventually, Santana smirked at Quinn and shot Rachel a, "Later, Shorty."

Rachel frowned at the nickname. "I'm not _that _much shorter than her."

"If you knew what she called everyone else, you'd take it as a compliment," Quinn said, shaking her head. "I saw you two over here and I figured I should probably save you from her."

"She's definitely—" Rachel paused as she tried to think of the right word. "Unique?"

Quinn laughed lightly. "That's one word for her."

"May I ask what Lima Heights is?" Rachel wondered.

Quinn rolled her eyes. "It's the bad side of town. She likes to pretend she's tougher than she is. Not that she hasn't been known to slap people, but it's mostly just talk. She really only becomes violent if you say something bad about Brittany." Quinn glanced down and then looked back up at her. "I should go. I promised Tina I wouldn't leave her alone with Kurt's cousin for long."

Rachel nodded. "I guess we'll see each other later."

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

As she turned and began making her way to the other side of the room, she glanced over her shoulder at Rachel, who gave her a soft smile. When Quinn finally looked away, Rachel turned, grabbed the bottle of water, and then walked off to find somewhere quiet.

* * *

><p>"Oh, I love it there!" Rachel said as she talked to Tina, who had finally escaped Kurt's cousin. "I couldn't imagine living anywhere else."<p>

"It must be nice getting to live there," Tina replied. "I've always wanted to go. I've been through it, but I've never got to stop and actually see it."

"You should," Rachel said. "I don't think you've lived until you've seen New York City. There really is no other place like it."

"Maybe I will one day," Tina replied with a smile. "We were all really hoping we'd get to Nationals when it was in New York, but things didn't really work out for us. Our lead singer defected to another school right before Regionals."

Rachel frowned. "That's terrible."

"It definitely put a damper on our performance, and we ended up losing to the Warblers," Tina replied.

"I remember them," Rachel said. "They were okay, but they shouldn't have relied on one singer so much, especially when his voice wasn't that spectacular. In show choir, you're only as strong as your weakest member. If you're going to choose one person to be your star, they need to be able to sing better than everyone else in the competition and he simply wasn't."

Tina laughed and said, "Kurt would be happy to hear you say that."

"Why is that?" Rachel wondered.

"Blaine is Kurt's ex-boyfriend," Tina answered.

"The boyfriend who cheated on him?" Rachel asked.

Tina nodded. "That's him. He left Dalton to join the New Directions the next year, so he could be with Kurt more. He sort of tried to take over the club, which left a lot of people unhappy. We did manage to make it to Nationals with him, though."

"I remember," Rachel replied.

"You were there?" Tina asked.

"Yes, I was in—"

"Oh, wait!" Tina said, interrupting her. "I thought you looked familiar, and I just realized why. You guys won."

"Yes," Rachel confirmed.

"You were amazing," Tina stated. "As soon as you started singing that song, I think most of us knew we were going to lose."

"That's very nice of you to say," Rachel replied.

"Hey, Tina," a guy with blond hair said, throwing his hand up in greeting.

"Hey, Sam," Tina said, receiving a quick hug from him.

"Hey," the guy said, nodding toward Rachel.

"Rachel, Sam," she said, pointing to each of them.

"You're the girl that came with Finn," Sam said.

"Yes, we attend NYADA together," Rachel replied.

"Cool," Sam said, nodding in approval. "You two aren't dating, though, right? He said you're, like, wanting to keep things casual or whatever."

"We are not, no," Rachel said.

"You'll have to excuse Sam's lack of tact," Tina stated.

"What?" Sam asked, shrugging.

"Everyone in the Glee Club always seemed to know each other's business, and nothing has really changed," Tina said. "Sometimes it felt like we were going to high school in one of those teen shows. Everyone dated everyone else, and it was a very strange place sometimes."

"I didn't date everyone," Sam said.

Tina rolled her eyes. "You dated Santana."

"Yeah, but, like, she was just trying to help me get back at Quinn," Sam replied.

"You dated Quinn," Tina continued. "Mercedes, Brittany—"

"Okay, fine, I dated a lot of girls in Glee," Sam said.

"You dated Quinn?" Rachel asked in surprise.

"I didn't turn her gay if that's what you're thinking," Sam said.

"I can assure you I was not thinking that," Rachel replied.

"Oh, well, her and Finn broke up for a little while and I dated her, but then she cheated on me and got back with him," Sam said.

"See what I mean?" Tina asked.

"Hey, where's the rest of the gang?" Sam asked.

"I'm not sure," Tina replied, looking around.

"Help me find them," Sam said.

"It was very nice to meet you both," Rachel said.

"You too," Tina replied before being pulled away by Sam.

Rachel wondered how much longer the party was going to last; everyone had been there for hours and she was starting to get a little exhausted. She couldn't remember the last time she'd met so many new people in one day, and as she walked toward the kitchen, she hoped she wouldn't be stopped by anyone else.

"Hey, Rach," Finn said, coming up behind her as she walked into the short hallway that connected the living room and kitchen.

"Hi, Finn," Rachel replied as she turned around to face him.

"Hey, I was wondering if—"

"Burt's looking for you," Quinn said, walking into the hallway from the kitchen. "Some of the lights are out and he wants you to help him. He's in the garage."

Finn sighed and then looked at Rachel. "I guess I'll talk to you later."

Rachel nodded and then looked at Quinn and said, "Hello again. I wondered where everyone I knew had gone off to."

"Unfortunately, Brittany and Santana trapped me," Quinn said, shaking her head. "I don't know why they think I need to know everything about their sex life."

Rachel laughed. "I have a friend from class who is the exact same way. I know more about her and her boyfriend than I ever wanted to. Of course, maybe I'm just a little envious that they seem so happy and in love."

"Yeah, maybe," Quinn replied.

Rachel started to open her mouth to say something else, but decided against it. Quinn was staring at her intently, and Rachel couldn't help thinking how pretty Quinn's eyes were. She'd noticed that they seemed to vary in color, depending on the lighting, and at the moment they were a beautiful honey color.

"Will you two just make out already?" Santana asked as she passed by, jolting Rachel a bit.

"You guys have to kiss!" Brittany said, pointing above their heads.

Rachel looked up to see what the other girl was talking about and realized they were standing under some mistletoe. She laughed lightly and shook her head as she looked back down, locking eyes with Quinn.

"Well, it is tradition, but you certainly don't have to kiss me," Rachel said.

For a moment, she thought Quinn was going to say something. Instead, Quinn leaned forward, bringing their lips together. Rachel's eyes closed the moment their lips connected, and she put her hands on Quinn's waist to steady herself. But a moment later, Quinn was already pulling away, and Rachel slowly opened her eyes.

"I should see if Finn found Burt," Quinn stated, and Rachel just nodded, unable to really speak.


	4. It's Undeniable

**Chapter 4 – It's Undeniable**

Rachel tiredly rubbed her eyes, which were watering from the sudden bright light, and then looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was all over the place from tossing and turning for hours and her eyes were slightly bloodshot. She had gone to bed much later than usual since she had insisted on helping to clean up after the party, and when she finally did lie down, sleep had not come easily. Her restlessness was partly brought on by her still getting used to being in a new place, but she knew it probably had more to do with the fact that she couldn't stop thinking about Quinn kissing her under the mistletoe.

After quickly running her brush through her messy hair, she opened the bathroom door and walked toward the kitchen to make some much needed coffee. Before she even reached the other room, though, she could smell that someone was already brewing a pot, and when she walked into the room, she found Quinn sitting on one of the stools.

Rachel stood there for a moment, hating to interrupt Quinn, who had a book open in front of her, but after a few seconds the blonde looked over her shoulder and said, "Hey."

"You're up early," Rachel commented, walking the rest of the way into the room.

Quinn shrugged and looked down at her book again. "Couldn't sleep."

"I know the feeling," Rachel replied. "I don't always sleep that well when I'm at a new place, so I had a rather restless night." Rachel paused for a moment. "Is the room I'm sleeping in your room?"

"I don't know if I would call it my room, but it was the room I stayed in," Quinn replied.

"I am so sorry," Rachel said. "It never occurred to me that I stole your room." She shook her head. "You must think I'm a terrible person."

"I don't think you're a terrible person," Quinn replied.

"Nevertheless, why don't you take your room back and I can sleep on the couch?" Rachel offered.

"The couch is fine," Quinn replied. "And it's not really my room. I'm really only here during the summer and a week around Christmas."

"Are you sure?" Rachel asked.

"I'm sure," Quinn replied.

"Well, if you change your mind, just let me know," Rachel said, walking over to the cabinet to grab a mug. "I will gladly give up the room."

She set it down next to the coffee maker and picked up the coffee pot, pouring the coffee into the mug.

"I just realized I've never asked where you go to school ," Rachel said, putting some sugar into her coffee.

"I go to Yale," Quinn answered.

"Yale?" Rachel asked, looking over her shoulder.

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

"I—wow," Rachel said, slightly shaking her head. "Yale."

"Don't sound so surprised," Quinn replied. "Did you think I was dumb because of the blonde hair?"

"Of course not!" Rachel hurriedly said. "I just—well, I've never known anyone who went to Yale, and you hadn't said anything about going to such a prestigious school, and I just—"

"Rachel," Quinn replied, interrupting her. "I was kidding,"

Rachel huffed. "That's mean."

Quinn laughed lightly. "Sorry."

"It would be more believable without the laughter," Rachel said, setting her mug on the island, and leaning her elbows on the surface.

"Yeah, probably," Quinn agreed.

"So, you go to Yale," Rachel remarked. "Is that in Massachusetts?"

"Connecticut," Quinn replied. "It's in New Haven."

"Oh, that's right," Rachel said. "Harvard is in Massachusetts. I really should have remembered that; I once had a roommate whose favorite movie was Legally Blonde and she would watch it at least once a month." Rachel shook her head. "Anyway, what are you majoring in? If you don't mind me asking."

"Literature," Quinn answered.

"I should have guessed," Rachel said with a smile toward Quinn's book. "So, are you already reading something for next semester or are you reading for pleasure."

Quinn held up the book, showing Rachel the cover. "I read Little Women for the first time around Christmas when I was ten. Since then, I've read it around this time almost every year. I'm not even really sure why; I guess it's just habit."

"Maybe you should look at it more as a tradition than a habit," Rachel replied.

"Maybe," Quinn said, putting her bookmark in, and sliding the book to the side.

Rachel watched Quinn for a moment and then picked up her coffee, taking a careful sip. She wasn't sure if it was her imagination or if Quinn was being less talkative than usual. She'd noticed rather quickly upon meeting her that the blonde was fairly quiet person, but Quinn seemed to be saying less than usual, and Rachel couldn't help but wonder if it had to do with the previous night. Then again, she knew Quinn could simply be tired from not sleeping very well, and all her concern could be over nothing.

"Do you want to hear something silly?" Rachel asked, trying to break the silence. "I think the tradition I'm going to miss most while being here is not being able to watch Grease with my fathers."

"You watch Grease for Christmas?" Quinn asked, raising her eyebrow in amusement.

Rachel laughed and nodded. "Every Christmas Eve. I'm not sure how old I was when we started doing it, but Daddy wanted to watch it one year, so we did. It was suggested again the next year and the year after that, and now we watch it every single year. I know it's not very Christmassy, but it's something we do every year and I'm going to miss watching it."

"You could still watch it," Quinn said, shrugging her shoulder.

"I would, but I'm afraid I don't actually have a copy of the movie myself," Rachel replied. "I suppose I'll just have to wait until my fathers return from their cruise."

"Why are you two up?" Kurt asked as he walked into the kitchen with a yawn.

"I'm sorry; did we wake you?" Rachel asked.

"No, the crazy bird outside my window woke me," Kurt replied. "Why do they think it's a good idea to be so vocal before the sun is up?"

Rachel laughed lightly. "There's coffee if that makes you feel any better."

"Wonderful," Kurt replied, walking toward the coffee maker.

"I'm going to shower," Quinn said, picking up her book.

"Maybe the others will be up by the time you get out and I can make everyone breakfast," Rachel said.

"Don't count on it," Kurt remarked.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Rachel," Finn said, coming into the kitchen, where she was eating an apple.<p>

"Hello," Rachel replied.

"There's a lot of snow out there, so I thought it might be kind of fun to have a snowball fight," Finn said, looking excited. "I already asked Kurt and Quinn and thought you might want to join us. It'll make it even if you do. I know it's kind of lame, but it could be fun, right?"

"I—sure," Rachel replied. "Yes, it could be fun."

"Cool," Finn said with a smile. "We're all getting ready, so just meet us in the back yard."

"Okay," Rachel replied. "I'll be out there once I'm properly prepared."

Rachel quickly ate the rest of her apple before going to her room. It had been a long time since she last participated in a snowball fight and she wasn't really sure what the best thing to wear was. She knew she didn't want to freeze, though, so she grabbed several layers of clothing. She wasn't usually one to wear jeans—she much preferred dresses or skirts—but she had brought a pair just in case. And this seemed like as good a reason to wear them than any.

She put a pair of tights on under the jeans for extra warmth, and then put on a sweater, covered by her hooded sweatshirt. Thankfully, she'd also brought a pair of boots, so she slipped them on after putting on two pairs of socks, and then headed for the living room to grab her coat and gloves.

When she finally walked into the back yard, the other three were standing around. Finn turned around the moment she opened the door, smiling at her. She knew she must look silly with so many clothes on, but she'd rather look a little ridiculous than lose all feeling in her limbs.

"Okay, we should pick teams!" Finn said. "How about boys against girls?"

"That isn't fair," Kurt complained.

"I'm sure Quinn and I can hold our own against you and Finn," Rachel said, feeling a little offended.

"I meant it's not fair for me," Kurt replied. "Finn is terrible at hitting things with a ball."

Rachel frowned. "Didn't you say you were the quarterback of your high school football team?"

Next to Finn, Quinn snorted slightly and then tried to cover it with a cough. Kurt, however, did not hide his amusement as he said, "They weren't very good."

"Hey, we were okay," Finn said. "And I can throw a ball."

Kurt sighed and rolled his eyes. "Fine, it can be boys against girls. But I propose we have five minutes before we start to prepare our defenses."

"Whatever," Quinn said, shrugging.

"And we're taking the side with the picnic table," Kurt said, grabbing Finn's arm, and pulling him toward the right side of the yard.

"He takes this very seriously, doesn't he?" Rachel asked.

"Kurt takes everything very seriously," Quinn replied. "He's even more competitive than I was."

"Was?" Rachel asked. "Are you no longer?"

Quinn shrugged. "Not really. I used to want to be the best at everything." Quinn paused for a moment and then quietly added, " I guess I thought if I was the best, my parents would be proud of me."

Rachel wanted to say something reassuring, but she didn't know what to say. She wanted to tell her that her parents were proud of her, but given everything she knew about them, she knew they probably weren't. Which Rachel thought was crazy. Not only was Quinn incredibly beautiful, but she was going to Yale, and on top of that, she was also nice and funny. Rachel couldn't imagine any parent not wanting a daughter like her, but yet Quinn was unlucky enough to have just that.

"I'm sure there are plenty of people who are proud of you," Rachel finally said.

"I think they're trying to build a fort," Quinn said, nodding toward the other side of the yard.

Rachel put her hands on her hips when she saw what the boys were doing. They were using the picnic table as shelter and Finn was piling the snow around it, essentially making a wall. Kurt, on the other hand, was concentrating on making snowballs from the surrounding snow.

"We can't let them win," Rachel stated, and then looked at Quinn. "I understand that you may no longer be a competitive person, but I am."

"I should've guessed," Quinn said with a slight smile.

"Why do you say that?" Rachel wondered.

"You're ambitious, and ambitious people are usually competitive," Quinn replied.

"I suppose that's true," Rachel commented. "After all, I'm going to spend most of my life competing with other actresses for roles. Though, hopefully, it won't be much of a competition."

"Are you two just going to talk?!" Kurt called out.

"We're strategizing!" Rachel lied.

Quinn shook her head but had a smile on her face. "Come on; we'll use the tree as cover."

"I don't know how much cover it's going to provide, but I suppose it's all we have," Rachel said as she followed Quinn over to the tree.

"Don't worry," Quinn replied. "Finn couldn't hit the side of the house if he tried, and Kurt's even worse."

"How did your school ever win a football game?" Rachel asked, shaking her head.

"We didn't most of the time," Quinn replied. "It was a little embarrassing cheering for a team that lost ninety percent of their games."

"So why did you stay on the cheerleading squad?" Rachel wondered.

"Because being on the Cheerios made you popular," Quinn answered. "It sounds crazy now, but all I wanted in high school was to win prom queen."

"And did you?" Rachel asked.

"Yes," Quinn replied.

"That's not surprising," Rachel commented. "I can't imagine anyone at your school being prettier than you, and that's who usually wins prom queen, right? The prettiest girl? The one all the guys wants to date and all the girls are envious of."

Quinn shrugged. "I guess."

"You must have broken a lot of guys' hearts when they realized they didn't stand a chance with you," Rachel remarked. "Did you ever date any of the girls at your school?"

"No," Quinn answered.

"Why didn't you?" Rachel asked.

"They weren't really my type," Quinn replied.

"Oh," Rachel said. "So—what is your type?"

Rachel gasped when a snowball hit her shoulder, breaking apart, and spraying her face with chunks of snow. Slowly, she turned to look at Kurt and Finn, who were both laughing. A few moments later, another snowball flew toward the two guys, smacking Finn in the side of the head.

"Hey!" Finn called out, rubbing his head.

"That's for not warning us!" Quinn called back.

"We must destroy them," Rachel stated as she brushed the snow off her hair.

"That shouldn't be too hard," Quinn said with a smirk, and Rachel had no doubt that they would be victorious.

* * *

><p>"I'm running to the store, and I thought I'd see if you wanted me to pick you up anything," Carole said upon opening the door,<p>

Rachel shook her head. "I have everything I need."

"Are you sure?" Carole asked.

"I'm positive, but thank you," Rachel replied, giving her a smile.

"Well, if you change your mind just have Kurt or Finn or Quinn call me," Carole said. "They all have my number."

"I'll be sure to," Rachel replied.

Carole closed the door and Rachel grabbed her phone from her pocket to see if her fathers had tried to contact her. They were supposed to call anytime, and even though the sound was on, she was afraid she was going to miss their call. She had no missed called, though, so she put it back in her pocket and stood from the bed.

The house was quiet as she walked out of the room and into the kitchen. She paused for a moment when she saw Quinn standing in front of the microwave, but then continued on her way to the fridge. As she opened it and grabbed a bottle of water, Quinn looked over her shoulder, and Rachel couldn't help but look over at her.

"Did Carole find you?" Quinn asked.

"Yes, she just spoke with me," Rachel replied.

Quinn nodded and then looked back at the microwave, but Rachel kept her eyes on the blonde. Unfortunately, guilt began to creep in, so Rachel quickly averted her eyes, staring down at her bottle of water.

She'd tried to ignore it, but it was undeniable that she had a crush on Quinn. Not only was she physically attracted to her, but the more she talked to Quinn and got to know her, the more she liked her and wanted to know her even more. She really couldn't remember the last time she felt like that about anyone. That she felt an instant connection with someone. And when Quinn kissed her under the mistletoe, she could no longer deny it to herself. It certainly wasn't the first time she'd kissed another female—she had dated a few girls in the past—but it was the first time she'd felt such a spark.

And she felt terrible about it.

"What?" Rachel asked, realizing Quinn had said something.

"I asked if you're okay," Quinn replied.

"Oh, yes," Rachel said, trying not to blush. "I was just thinking and I guess I zoned out."

Rachel smiled at Quinn and then briskly made her way to the living room, where she nearly collided with Finn at the end of the hallway. In her surprise, she dropped the bottle of water, but Finn quickly picked it up.

"Sorry," Finn said, holding the bottle out for her. "I didn't know you were there."

"It's my fault," Rachel replied, reaching out, and accidentally brushing her hand against his as she took the bottle. "Thank you."

Finn smiled slightly when their hands touched, and Rachel looked away, trying not to feel even worse about everything.

Even though she and Finn weren't boyfriend and girlfriend, she still felt guilty about developing feelings for Quinn. She knew Finn liked her, and while she didn't necessarily want to be in a relationship with him, she also didn't want to hurt him. She knew he was probably still holding out hope that she would change her mind despite him saying the contrary, and now she had a crush on one of his friends. Someone she wouldn't have even met if Finn hadn't been nice enough to invite her there for the holidays.

"What are you doin' right now?" Finn asked.

"I'm waiting on a call from my fathers," Rachel replied. "They promised to call by five, so it should be any moment."

"You wanna catch a movie or something after?" Finn asked. "The new Stars Wars movie just came out and I've been dying to see it."

"I don't know, Finn," Rachel replied.

"Okay," Finn said, shrugging. "It's just that we haven't really gotten to hang out much since we've been here and I thought it could be fun. I was gonna call Sam up and see if he wanted to come, too. He's a crazy huge Star Wars fan; he's already watched it twice, but he's wanting to go again."

"I suppose it could be fun," Rachel replied. "Although, I don't know how happy my fathers are going to be that I got to see it before them." She laughed lightly. "They are both huge fans of the franchise and were disappointed they wouldn't get a chance to watch it before going on their cruise."

"Awesome," Finn said with a smile. "I'll go call Sam and then see if Kurt wants to come."

"Should we—" Rachel paused for a moment.

"Should we what?" Finn asked.

"I was just wondering if we should also invite Quinn," Rachel said.

"Sure," Finn replied, shrugging. "Why don't you go ask her while I'm calling Sam?"

"Alright," Rachel said.

Rachel knew she may regret suggesting inviting Quinn, but it seemed rude not to. And as much as she thought that she needed to limit her time around the blonde, a bigger part of her didn't want to. She'd always relished that feeling of having a new crush on someone, and even if her head was telling her it was a bad idea to like Quinn, she couldn't help wanting to be around her.

"Quinn," Rachel said, walking into the kitchen. "Finn wanted me to ask if you would like to go to the movies in a little bit."

Quinn shrugged and asked, "Who else is going?"

"He said he was going to call Sam and then he was going to ask Kurt if he would like to join us," Rachel replied.

"Yeah, sure," Quinn said.

"I'll let Finn know," Rachel said with a smile, and a moment later, Lean On Me began playing from her phone. "Oh, that's my fathers."

Rachel pulled out her phone and excused herself before walking toward the guest room with a, "Hi, Dad! Hi, Daddy!"

* * *

><p>Rachel set her laptop to the side and pulled the blanket further up around her shoulders. It was nice and cozy in front of the fire and it was beginning to make her a little sleepy, but she wasn't quite ready to go to bed. It had been such a good day that she really didn't want it to end just yet.<p>

The movie had been wonderful and she found herself having a lot of fun with the other five people. At the Christmas party, she hadn't gotten the best impression from Sam, but he turned out to be a nice guy and was constantly trying to make everyone laugh. Kurt had also called Tina, who Rachel had enjoyed talking to the day before, so she was quite happy about seeing her again. Overall, it was a very enjoyable night, but it was kind of sad knowing that she would probably never see Sam or Tina again.

"Mind if I join you?"

Rachel looked up at Quinn, who was standing at the end of the couch, and smiled. "Not at all. I'm the one intruding on your bed, after all."

Rachel laid her head on the arm of her chair as she watched Quinn sit on the other end of the couch. After a few seconds, she averted her eyes, not wanting Quinn to think she was staring. Which was something she seemed to be doing a lot of that day. Most of the time, she didn't even realize she was doing it until Quinn would look her away. Quinn was just so beautiful and there was something about her that Rachel found intriguing.

"Did you have fun today?" Quinn asked.

Rachel smiled to herself. "Yes, I enjoyed it quite a lot."

"I know Sam can be a little annoying," Quinn remarked.

"I suppose his impressions could get old after a time, but it was nice," Rachel replied. "I really can't remember the last time I went to the movies with a large group. I-I don't really have a lot of friends at home, and I liked that all of you made me feel included. In a way, it felt as if I've known you guys for much longer than just a few days."

"Why don't you have many friends?" Quinn asked.

"I've been told I talk too much and that some people find me annoying," Rachel replied. "It's also hard to trust a lot of the other NYADA students. A lot of them will stab you in the back if they think it will improve their chances of their dreams coming true. It's a very competitive school and some students will resort to less than honorable tactics. I had some friends in high school, but we've sort of drifted apart over the years." She looked over at Quinn. "You're really lucky to have people you've been friends with for so long. It must be nice."

"I guess," Quinn said. "I've never really thought about it."

"Just know you're incredibly lucky," Rachel stated.

Rachel laid her head back down and stared at the fire in silence. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Quinn looking at her and after a few moments, she said, "They're wrong, you know?"

"Who is wrong?" Rachel asked, shifting her head slightly, so she could see the other girl.

"You don't talk too much," Quinn replied.

"I do, but it's just who I am" Rachel said, shaking her head.

"I like it when you talk," Quinn said.

Rachel couldn't help but smile. "You do?"

"Yeah," Quinn softly replied.

Rachel opened her mouth, but quickly closed it before she said something she would regret. She had been told many times by her fathers that her emotions were written all over her face, and she was afraid Quinn could see right through her. Since Quinn was gay, she knew she at least wouldn't be disgusted by her crush, but that didn't mean the crush was mutual, and she was afraid she would do or say something to embarrass herself if she wasn't careful.

"Rachel—"

"Yes?" Rachel asked when Quinn paused.

"Hey, guys," Finn said, coming into the room

"Hi," Rachel replied as he came over, sitting down on the couch.

"Hey," Quinn said. "Not to rush you, but I think I'm going to get ready for bed."

"Oh, of course!" Rachel said. "How rude of me."

"No, you're fine," Quinn replied, shaking her head. "I still have to shower."

"Okay, well—if I don't see you when you get out, goodnight," Rachel said, watching Quinn as she stood, and ran a hand through her hair.

Quinn locked eyes with her for a moment and then looked away and said, "I'll see you in the morning."

"Bright and early," Rachel replied with a smile.


	5. Gift Giving

**Chapter 5 – Gift Giving**

Rachel could see the kitchen light on and knew Quinn was already inside. She hesitated for a moment just outside the archway that led into the kitchen, contemplating turning around and going back into her room. She wasn't even really sure why she was so hesitant, and she quickly shook her head, realizing she was being silly.

"Good morning," Rachel greeted as she walked into the kitchen.

"Hey," Quinn replied.

As usual, Quinn was sitting on one of the stools with a book open in front of her. Rachel noticed it was a different book than the day before, though, so she said, "I see you finished Little Women."

"Yeah," Quinn replied. "Last night."

"What are you reading now?" Rachel wondered.

"A Christmas Carol," Quinn replied.

"That's certainly appropriate," Rachel said with a smile.

"I was hoping it would get me in the Christmas mood," Quinn remarked.

"You're not already in the Christmas mood?" Rachel asked. "I mean, it is Christmas Eve."

Quinn shrugged. "Maybe it's because I'm not a kid anymore, but it's just not the same. It hasn't really felt like Christmas since—I guess since I left home."

"I'm really sorry, Quinn" Rachel said. "I can imagine it must be especially difficult around the holidays."

Rachel walked toward the coffee maker, but stopped when Quinn said, "Two teaspoons of sugar, right?"

"What?" Rachel asked, turning around, and seeing a mug setting on the island.

"I knew you would be up any minute," Quinn said.

"Thank you," Rachel replied as she walked over and wrapped her hands around the hot mug. "I—thank you."

Rachel glanced over at Quinn as she took a sip of her own coffee, and then Rachel did the same. She wasn't sure why, but she suddenly felt so awkward around Quinn. Maybe it was because she was over thinking everything, but she was just so aware of every little thing she said or did. She was trying to act completely normal, but she felt like it was causing her to act completely abnormal, instead, and she was afraid Quinn was going to pick up on it and figure everything out.

"You're very good at making coffee," Rachel said, cringing slightly once the words were out of her mouth.

"I've had plenty of practice," Quinn replied. "I had a part time job at a coffee shop last year."

"You worked while going to school?" Rachel asked. "You must have been busy."

"I didn't have a lot of choice," Quinn said. "Student loans only cover so much."

Rachel nodded; she'd never really thought about Quinn being on her own financially, but it made sense. If Quinn's parents kicked her out of their house, why would they support her in other ways?

"I know I've never met them, but I really don't like your parents," Rachel stated, shaking her head.

"That makes two of us," Quinn replied.

"You said before that you have a sister," Rachel said. "Do you ever speak with her?"

Quinn shook her head. "Frannie and I didn't really talk even when she lived at home. She's married and has her own life, and when I called her after everything happened, she more or less said that our parents did the right thing."

"I cannot fathom how someone could treat family like that," Rachel said, putting her hands on her hips. "I just—I _really_ don't like them, and if I ever saw them, I would tell them exactly what I think of them. Anyone would be lucky to have a daughter or sister like you."

"If it makes you feel any better, Santana ran into them a few weeks after they told me to leave," Quinn replied. "Brittany wouldn't tell me what she said, but knowing Santana, it was nothing good."

"Good," Rachel said. "They deserved it."

"Are you always like that?" Quinn asked, looking amused.

"Like what?" Rachel asked back, dropping her arms by her sides.

"So," Quinn paused a moment, "protective?"

"I don't like when anyone hurts the people I care about," Rachel replied, and the moment she realized what she said, Rachel felt her cheeks warm, and she ducked head, hoping Quinn wouldn't see her blushing.

"You've only known me four days," Quinn said.

"I don't think it matters how long you know someone," Rachel replied. "I can meet someone and just instantly know that they're going to be important to me. It's like a sixth sense. I felt it when I met you and when I met Kurt."

"And when you met Finn?" Quinn asked.

"No," Rachel admitted.

Quinn nodded. "Are you two serious?"

"What?" Rachel asked, frowned slightly.

"I mean, he brought you home, so you must be," Quinn said.

Rachel shook her head and said, "Finn and I are not really dating. We've gone on a few dates, but I'm not his girlfriend."

"Oh," Quinn replied. "I just thought—"

"I've made it very clear to him that I was coming here as his friend, nothing more," Rachel said. "I was hesitant to even come because I didn't want him to read anything into it. I'm not interested in pursuing a relationship with him. I know he likes me, but he's simply not the one for me."

She didn't know if it was her imagination or not, but Quinn seemed to smile. A moment later, though, her face was completely unreadable as she took another drink of coffee.

"May I ask why you wanted to know the status of my relationship with Finn?" Rachel asked.

Quinn shrugged and said, "I was just curious."

"Oh, well, now you know," Rachel replied.

"Yeah," Quinn said, holding Rachel's gaze for a few moments, and then looking back down at her book.

As Quinn looked away, Rachel couldn't help but smile to herself. She still felt guilty about everything and worried about hurting Finn, but she was beginning to wonder if maybe her crush wasn't completely one sided. And the thought that Quinn could possibly like her back was enough to make her heart skip a beat.

* * *

><p>Rachel laughed as she said, "I can't believe you would do that!"<p>

Kurt shrugged. "You don't mess with my friends."

"It took us a while, but the Glee Club eventually came together," Finn said.

"Did Finn ever tell you about the time he wore a dress out of a shower curtain?" Kurt asked.

"That was bad," Quinn said, shaking her head. "You looked ridiculous."

"Yeah, but they were being jerks," Finn replied.

"Why did you dress up in a shower curtain?" Rachel wondered.

"It was Lady Gaga week," Kurt answered.

"I was just trying to be supportive," Finn replied. "You know, show the football team that if Kurt was a freak, then I was a freak, too."

"And I had to be the one to make the dress," Carole added. "Imagine my surprise when Finn came to me with the idea."

"And imagine my surprise my boyfriend came to school wearing a dress," Quinn said. "I don't think I've ever freaked out quite so much."

Kurt suddenly jumped up and Finn asked, "Where are you going?"

"To turn up the music," Kurt said, grabbing the remote control. "I love this song."

As soon as the volume was up, Kurt began enthusiastically singing along with the song.

"_Oh, when the snowman brings the snow  
><em>_Oh well, he just might like to know  
><em>_He's put a great big smile  
><em>_On somebody's face"_

"You're not going to leave me to sing alone, are you?" Kurt asked.

Rachel didn't have to be asked twice; she never passed up an opportunity to sing and quickly joined in with Kurt. Thankfully she knew the song from a holiday concert her Glee Club put on one winter.

"_If you jump into your bed  
><em>_And you cover up your head  
><em>_Don't you lock the doors  
><em>_You know that sweet Santa Claus is on the way"_

"Come on, you two," Kurt said, putting his hands on his hips.

Quinn just shook her head, but Finn stood and offered his hand to Rachel. She took it and he pulled her up, leading her over to Kurt, where the three sung the chorus.

_"Well, I wish it could be Christmas everyday  
><em>_When the kids start singing and the band begins to play  
><em>_Oh, I wish it could be Christmas everyday  
><em>_Let the bells ring out for Christmas"_

Rachel couldn't help but smile as Kurt danced like a dork and Finn awkwardly joined in. Rachel, on the other hand, walked toward Quinn, who was still sitting in the floor. She sang as she walked over to her and knelt down beside of her, nodding toward Finn and Kurt. Eventually, Quinn shook her head slightly, but stood up, nevertheless

"_When we're skating in the park  
><em>_If the storm cloud paints it dark  
><em>_Then your rosy cheeks are gonna light  
><em>_My merry way_

"_Now the frosticals appeared  
><em>_And they've frozen up my beard  
><em>_And so we'll lie by the fire  
><em>_Till the sleep simply melts them all away"_

Kurt took Rachel's hand and spun her around as the four of them sung the chorus together. Carole was sitting on the couch with a smile on her face while Burt came in from the kitchen, probably to see what was going on. The two looked at each other and Rachel couldn't help but wonder if they got an impromptu performance every year.

"_Well, I wish it could be Christmas everyday  
><em>_When the kids start singing and the band begins to play  
><em>_Oh, I wish it could be Christmas everyday  
><em>_Let the bells ring out for Christmas"_

The guys looked at each other and nodded at each other, motioning for Rachel and Quinn to take the next part, and Rachel was happy to oblige. She smiled to herself as she properly heard her for the first time. Her voice was soft but beautiful, just like Rachel imagined it would be.

"_Oh, when the snowman brings the snow  
><em>_Oh well, he just might like to know  
><em>_He's put a great big smile  
><em>_On somebody's face"_

Rachel motioned for Kurt and Finn to sing the next part and then looked at Quinn, giving her a soft smile. Despite being reluctant to join in, Rachel could tell Quinn was happy and having fun, which is what she was hoping for. She knew it was hard for Quinn around the holidays, and Rachel really just wanted to make her forget for even a few minutes.

"_So if Santa brings that sleigh  
><em>_All around the Milky Way  
><em>_I'll sign my name on the rooftop in the snow  
><em>_Then he may decide to stay"_

The four finished out the song, dancing together, before Rachel belted out the final line. Kurt looked a little taken aback, but Carole cheered, and Quinn laughed lightly before smiling at her.

"_Well, I wish it could be Christmas everyday  
><em>_When the kids start singing and the band begins to play  
><em>_Oh, I wish it could be Christmas everyday  
><em>_Let the bells ring out for Christmas_

"_Well, I wish it could be Christmas everyday  
><em>_When the kids start singing and the band begins to play  
><em>_Oh, I wish it could be Christmas everyday  
><em>_Let the bells ring out for Christmas  
><em>_  
><em>"_Why don't you give your love for Christmas?"_

"Showoff," Kurt mumbled.

Rachel put her hands on her hips. "It only seemed like the proper way to end the song."

"Finn didn't really do you justice when he was talking about your voice," Carole said. "You're amazing."

"Thank you," Rachel replied, ducking her head slightly.

"She's right," Quinn said, and Rachel looked over, locking eyes with her. "You're an amazing singer."

Rachel couldn't help the smile that appeared on her face, but before she could thank Quinn, Kurt said, "Let's not make Rachel's head any bigger."

Rachel huffed. "My head is perfectly sized, thank you very much."

"Alright, why don't we eat some dinner before you kids start arguing," Burt said with a laugh.

* * *

><p>Rachel stood back slightly as Carole and Burt gave out presents, and she couldn't help feeling like she was intruding a bit. After a few more presents were given out, though, Burt walked over to her, handing her a present wrapped in shiny green paper with a red bow on top.<p>

"Thank you," she said, looking down at the gift.

She really hadn't expected to get anything, but Carole dropped off a second present, setting it on the end table in front of her. When she looked at the tag on the first present, she saw that it was from Burt and Carole, and the second was from Kurt and Finn. After passing out a few more, Burt walked back over with a third gift.

"Are you going to open those?" Burt asked. "If you don't watch out, Kurt will claim them as his own."

Rather than open the presents, Rachel continued to stand there and watch everyone else. A smile spread across her face as she watched Kurt rip into one of his presents and pull out a new scarf, which he immediately wrapped around his neck. Next to him, sitting on the floor, was Finn, who had already opened two of his gifts and was working on a third.

She couldn't help but laugh at the sight of the step-brothers; they were like two kids instead of two twenty-two year olds. With a shake of her head, she pulled her phone out of her hoodie pocket and snapped a picture of them before taking one of Burt and Carole on the couch together and one of Quinn, who was looking away with a soft smile on her face.

After putting her phone back in her pocket, Rachel carefully began opening the first gift Burt handed her. Inside were matching scarf, hat, and gloves. They were grey and cream plaid and would go perfectly with her coat, which made her wonder if they'd had a little help from Finn with the color choice.

"Finn, don't just throw the trash in the floor," Carole scolded. "There's a trashcan right there for a reason."

"Sorry," Finn mumbled as he reached down to pick up the discarded wrapping paper.

"Thank you, Carole, thank you, Burt," Rachel said. "I love them."

"You're welcome," Carole replied.

Rachel set the garments back in the box and put it on the table before picking up the small box Carole had set down. It was so light that it felt like there was nothing in it. When she shook it, though, she could hear something rattling around. Slowly, she pulled off the ribbon and opened the top of it, gasping when she saw what was inside.

"You bought me Cabaret tickets!" Rachel said.

"Well, I know you like Broadway stuff," Finn replied, smiling.

"This is amazing," Rachel said, smiling over at him and Kurt.

"There is one condition," Kurt said, nudging Finn.

"You have to pick someone to go with you who isn't one of us," Finn added.

"Because we knew you'd try to choose one of us since we _did_ get them for you, and we don't want to fight over it," Kurt said.

Rachel laughed and said, "Alright. I will choose someone else."

She set the box with the tickets on her other gift and picked up the third present. She opened the name tag, wondering who it was from, and saw Quinn's name neatly scrawled on it. Surprised, she glanced up at the blonde, who was busy opening up her own presents. She hadn't expected anything from anyone, but she certainly hadn't anticipated Quinn getting her anything. After all, they had just met, and Quinn probably didn't even know Rachel was going to be there for the holiday, so it would have been completely understandable if she hadn't gotten her a gift.

Rachel slid her finger under the tape and then ripped off the snowflake covered wrapping paper. She immediately recognized the back, and when she turned the Blu-ray over, she couldn't help but smile. Quinn had gotten her Grease, and Rachel wondered when she could have even picked it up.

When she looked up to thank Quinn, the blonde was no longer sitting where she had been. Rachel glanced around, wondering where she had gone, and when she didn't see her, she asked, "Where did Quinn go?"

"Kitchen I think," Finn answered.

"Thanks," Rachel said as she turned and walked toward the other room.

When she walked into the kitchen, Quinn was shutting the door to the refrigerator. As she turned around, she paused when her eyes landed on Rachel. They both stood there, looking at each other for a few seconds in complete silence. After a few moments, though, Quinn glanced down, lifting the Blu-ray slightly.

"Thank you," Rachel said.

Quinn shrugged. "I couldn't let you break tradition."

"It was very sweet of you," Rachel said, taking a step forward.

"It's no big deal," Quinn replied.

Rachel didn't agree; not only had Quinn listened to her when she was talking—something a lot of people seemed unable to do—but she actually went out and bought it for her. It may have only been a movie, but it was the perfect gift. Rachel had been missing her fathers all day, and now she could keep the tradition alive even if they weren't physically there with her.

"I wonder how my fathers would feel about watching it with me over Skype," Rachel said with a laugh as the thought occurred to her.

Quinn smiled and said, "Thank you for the book, by the way."

"Oh, it was nothing," Rachel said, shaking her head. "I'm afraid I don't read a lot, but the guy at the bookstore recommended it. Hopefully it's as good as he says."

"Can you girls come in here a second?" Burt asked, walking into the kitchen. "Carole wants to take some pictures."

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

"Me?" Rachel asked in surprise.

"Yes, you," Burt said with a chuckle.

"Oh, okay," Rachel replied. "I'll be right there."

* * *

><p>As the credits began to roll, Rachel grabbed her laptop from the table and turned it around with a smile. Her fathers were on the screen, lounging back on their bed, and Hiram was still singing along with the music.<p>

Leroy shook his head at his husband and said, "Well, Honey, we hate to run, but—"

"But it's time for you to go to bed," Rachel finished for him.

"Your father wants to get up early to get the good spots by the pool," Leroy explained.

"I'll be damned if that French couple beats me to it again," Hiram said.

Leroy rolled his eyes. "Your father hasn't liked them since they beat him at bingo the first night of the cruise."

"I had it!" Hiram said. "He just yelled it out before I could."

"You know how competitive he gets," Leroy added.

"I am familiar with it, yes," Rachel said with a light laugh.

Unfortunately, Rachel was just as competitive as her father, so game night never ended well. Rachel and Hiram would usually argue about every little thing because they both wanted to win so badly. Needless to say, there were always many accusations of cheating and a few storm-outs on Rachel's part. Clue and Monopoly were still both banned at the Berry household.

"I'm really glad you suggested this," Leroy said. "It never occurred to me to do it."

"Yes, thank you for thinking of it," Hiram added. "I was just saying last night how I would miss our little tradition."

"You should thank Quinn," Rachel replied. "She's the one who bought it for me and made it possible."

"Well, then, make sure you thank Quinn for us," Leroy said. "We love you, Honey."

"Yes, we love you and we'll see you soon," Hiram said.

"I love you, too," Rachel replied. "Make sure you call me tomorrow."

"Of course," Leroy said.

"Goodnight!" Rachel said with a little wave.

"Night, Honey," Leroy replied before they disconnected.

Rachel had a smile on her face as she turned off the TV and then closed the lid to her laptop. She stood up and walked over, putting the movie in its case, and then taking everything into her room. She laid the movie with her other presents, which were sitting in the corner of the room, out of the way. Tomorrow, she would take them to Finn's car, so she would have less to pack when they left on Saturday.

She really couldn't believe her time there was almost over; everything had gone too fast. They were leaving the day after Christmas, so she would be there when her fathers got back. Plus, Finn wanted to go see the ball drop in Times Square for New Year's. He had always been in Lima for it, and since it may be his last New Year's in New York City, he was finally going to go. Rachel had been there many times while growing up, but she'd agreed to go with him. And once her fathers found out they were going, they decided to tag along since it had been so long since the last time they watched it drop.

After standing there a minute, thinking about how she was going to miss being there, she finally grabbed her toiletry bag. As she walked out of the room to go to the bathroom, she was struck by how quiet it was. At that time of the night, she could usually hear gunfire from whatever game Finn was playing or music coming up from Kurt's room. Right now, though, it was just her and Quinn in the house; everyone else was visiting Carole's aunt. They had invited her along, but Rachel had declined. She didn't want to intrude on their family time, and she figured it would be the perfect opportunity to watch Grease with her fathers.

As she approached the bathroom, Rachel made a slight detour and popped her head into the kitchen to see if Quinn was there. She hadn't seen her in several hours—right before starting the movie—and really didn't know where she had gone to. Rachel shrugged to herself when the kitchen was empty, and then walked into the bathroom to get ready for bed.

It was a little early for her to be going to bed, but it had been a long day. Plus, she hadn't been sleeping that great lately, and she was hoping to make up for it. So, she quickly went through her nightly routine, bypassing a few things that were a little more time consuming, and then turned off the bathroom light before walking back into the hall.

"Quinn, hello," Rachel said when she looked up and saw the blonde.

"Hey," Quinn replied. "Are you going to bed already?"

"Yeah," Rachel answered. "It's been a very long day."

Quinn nodded. "I know what you mean."

"I had a lot of fun today, though," Rachel said with a smile. "It's a lot livelier here than at home." Rachel shrugged. "Of course, it's just me and my fathers. And speaking of my fathers, they wanted me to thank you for the movie."

"It was—"

"Don't you dare saying 'nothing' again," Rachel interrupted.

"—no big deal," Quinn said after a moment.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I believe those mean the same thing."

"Yeah, but you didn't say I couldn't use a synonym," Quinn said, smirking slightly.

Rachel put her hands on her hips but was smiling, nevertheless. "So, did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?"

Quinn shrugged and said, "Almost."

"It doesn't matter," Quinn replied, shaking her head.

"Well, I guess I should get to bed," Rachel said, walking past Quinn, and then looking back at her. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Night," Quinn replied.

Quinn locked eyes with her for several beats, until Rachel looked forward again. She took a few more steps forward and then stopped, biting her lower lip.

"Quinn?" Rachel said.

"Yeah?" Quinn softly asked.

Rachel opened her mouth but closed it after a moment. Rather than say anything, she spun on her heel walked over to Quinn. Before she could change her mind, she quickly closed the distance between them and crashed their lips together.

For a moment, Rachel was worried she'd made a terrible mistake, but then Quinn's hands landed on her waist and she pulled her closer. Just as Rachel's arms wrapped around Quinn's neck, though, she heard Burt's laugh and the sound of voices. And since she would rather not be caught kissing Quinn by everyone, Rachel reluctantly pulled away.

"I, um." Rachel faltered with what to say to Quinn. After a moment she just shook her head at herself, laughing lightly, and then stood on her tippy toes, kissing Quinn's cheek.

"Goodnight, Quinn," Rachel finally whispered.

* * *

><p><strong>The song was I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday, which has been sung by many people.<strong>


	6. Confessions

**LaurenKnight13: That's understandable. I think it may be more of a UK thing? I only heard it because a lot of my favorite groups are British and several of them have performed it over the years. The Girls Aloud version is my personal favorite.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6 – Confessions<strong>

Rachel picked up her phone for the third time but set it down a moment later with a sigh. She didn't even really know who she would call, but she felt like she needed to talk to someone. Calling her fathers would probably be a little awkward and it wasn't as if she had a lot of close friends. Plus, it wasn't even seven yet and it was Christmas Day, so even if she did have someone she could call, she wouldn't want to disturb them.

She'd kissed Quinn. She'd kissed Quinn without warning. It was all she could think before she finally fell asleep and it was the first thing on her mind when she woke up.

She really didn't know what had come over her. She'd just been thinking about their kiss under the mistletoe and she knew she wanted it to happen again. Every time she looked at Quinn all she could think about was how it felt when their lips connected and how it had gone by far too fast. Then Quinn had looked at her with those hazel eyes of hers and all Rachel could think of was doing it again. She had tried to just walk away, but she couldn't.

And now she felt foolish.

She'd kissed Quinn and she had no idea if the blonde liked her. Sometimes Quinn was impossible to read, but at other times, Quinn would look at her and Rachel was certain the crush was mutual. Then Rachel would remind herself that they'd known each other than less than a week and that not everyone fell as quickly as she did.

When Rachel liked someone, she was usually all in. It was just how she was about things; once she fell, she fell hard. It wasn't even just with people. She'd instantly fallen in love with Broadway and had dedicated her life to getting onto that stage one day. And when she met her last boyfriend, she instantly knew she wanted to be with him. Unfortunately for her, many people were often scared off by such intensity and dedication, and the last thing she wanted to do was scare Quinn away.

She just wished there was someone she could talk to about it. Talking to her fathers wasn't out of the question—she'd talked to them before about her love life—but she didn't want to burden them while they were on vacation. She didn't have many close friends at school, and certainly no one she would feel comfortable spilling her worries. There was Finn, who she couldn't talk to about it for obvious reasons, and Kurt, but she didn't think it would be fair to put him in such an awkward position.

She just wished she knew what to do. She liked Quinn, but she didn't know if Quinn liked her. And even if Quinn did like her, what would that really mean? Rachel was leaving the next day, and it was a very real possibility that she would never see the blonde again. Yet she couldn't stop wondering about the possibilities.

Rachel was staring at her phone again, contemplating calling someone—anyone—when there was a knock at the door. She looked at the clock to see if she'd zoned out and more time had passed than she thought, but it was only nine til seven. The only two people that were usually up that early were her and Quinn, and she really hoped it wasn't the blonde. When she walked over and opened the door, though, that was exactly who was standing on the other side.

"Hey," Quinn greeted.

"Hello," Rachel said, looking down.

It was amazing to her how Quinn could look so perfect all the time. Even with no makeup and her pulled back in a messy ponytail, she still looked absolutely perfect. It just felt so unfair. How did anyone stand a chance of not getting a crush on her?

"Here," Quinn said, and Rachel looked up. "I figured you'd need it."

"Thank you," Rachel said, gratefully accepting the cup of coffee. "I was just about to come out to get me some."

Quinn's eyebrow rose and Rachel felt the urge to look away again, but she remained looking at the blonde. She'd heard a few stories about Quinn from high school and she always wondered how that could be the same girl as this one, but when she gave her a look like that, Rachel could suddenly understand how Quinn was able to rule her school

"Are you sure you weren't avoiding me?" Quinn asked, but it was obvious she already knew the answer.

"I was simply—" Rachel's mouth hung open as she tried to think of a convincing lie. After a few moments, though, she closed it and sighed to herself.

"That's what I thought," Quinn lightly said. "Let me know when you want to talk."

Rachel opened her mouth to say something, but Quinn was already turning and walking away. Plus, what would she really say? She _was_ avoiding Quinn. She was afraid of what the blonde was going to say when they finally did talk. And she didn't know if she was more afraid that Quinn would say she wasn't interested or if she was more afraid that she would say she was. If she was, Rachel knew she was going to have to talk to Finn, and if she wasn't, Rachel knew she would be more than disappointed.

* * *

><p>Rachel took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, trying to find the confidence to walk into the living room and talk to Quinn. She felt even more foolish after Quinn knocked on her door. She hadn't expected Quinn to come to her, and she definitely didn't expect the blonde to confront her about avoiding her. She had, though, and now Rachel felt like she needed to give Quinn an explanation, and she wasn't looking forward to having that conversation.<p>

After standing there for several minutes, Rachel finally began walking into the living from. Quinn glanced up at Rachel, but after staring at her for moment, she looked back at her book. Rachel wondered if Quinn was angry with her or if she was just being nice enough to let her begin the conversation. Unfortunately, it was impossible to tell with Quinn. Her face was completely impassive, so Rachel had no idea what Quinn was thinking or feeling at the moment.

"Can we talk?" Rachel asked.

She glanced at her again and then down at her book without replying. For a moment, Rachel thought Quinn was going to ignore her, but just as she was about to apologize to the blonde, Quinn picked her bookmark up and put it in the book, closing it, and looking up at Rachel.

"I was avoiding you," Rachel admitted.

"You don't say," Quinn lightly replied.

"I was just trying to—I don't know," Rachel said, throwing her hands up. "If it wasn't clear from what I did last night, I like you, Quinn. I felt foolish for just kissing you like I did; it was completely inappropriate of me. I have no idea what your feelings are toward me, and I shouldn't have done it. So, I was avoiding you because I was afraid of what you might say to me." Rachel sighed. "I owe you an apology. I shouldn't have kissed you last night and I shouldn't have avoided you this morning. I'm sorry, Quinn."

"Rachel, I'm not mad you kissed me," Quinn replied. "I was a little annoyed that you were avoiding me, though."

"You're not mad that I kissed you?" Rachel asked, feeling a little more hopeful.

"If you didn't notice, I kissed you back," Quinn replied.

"I know, but that doesn't necessarily mean anything," Rachel said. "You could have simply got caught up in the moment."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "Am I going to have to spell it out for you? I like you, too."

"You do?" Rachel asked, smiling.

"You're ridiculous," Quinn said, shaking her head with a slight smile on her face.

"Believe it or not, I've been told that before," Rachel replied, laughing lightly.

"Has anyone told you you're ridiculously cute?" Quinn asked.

"They usually leave the second part out," Rachel said, trying to contain her smile.

Rachel looked down for a moment and then looked back up, her smile vanishing as she furrowed her brows together. "I don't want to hurt Finn."

"I thought you two weren't dating," Quinn replied.

"We're not, really, but I know he has feelings for me and you're his friend," Rachel said.

"I don't want to hurt him, either, but I don't like many people," Quinn replied with a shrug. "And you're not with him; you don't owe him anything."

"That doesn't make me feel any less guilty," Rachel said. "I certainly never intended on coming here and getting a crush on his ex-girlfriend. He's one of the few people I can actually consider a friend at NYADA, and I don't want him to feel like I've betrayed him."

"If he feels like that, it's not your fault." Quinn replied. "You said you've made it clear that you're just friends, and if he didn't listen to you or thought you'd change your mind, that's his problem."

"I know," Rachel said. "I just hate thinking he may get hurt."

"Nothing says you have to tell them," Quinn coolly replied.

Rachel knew Quinn was right—she didn't have to tell Finn—but she believed in honesty. She felt like she owed Finn the truth. She'd had plenty of people lie to her throughout the years and it only hurt more when she eventually found out that they hadn't been honest with her.

"You're right," Quinn said, smoothing her skirt down as she sat next to Quinn. "But that doesn't feel right. I think if you respect someone at all, you owe them the truth. Something tells me he would eventually figure it out, and I don't want him to feel betrayed that I kept this from him." Rachel looked down at her hands. "Unless you don't think there's anything to tell. Will I even ever see you again after tomorrow?"

"There you are," Kurt said as he walked into the room.

Rachel sighed and mumbled, "Why are we always interrupted?"

"What is it, Kurt?" Quinn asked, sounding annoyed.

"Well, you know how to make a guy feel welcome," Kurt said. "I thought I would stop by Mercedes' house and I just wanted to see if either of you wanted to come along."

"I don't think so," Quinn said.

"Thank you, but I would rather remain here," Rachel replied.

"Okay," Kurt said, looking between the two of them suspiciously. "I'll go alone, then."

Kurt began walking away, but then stopped and looked between the two of them again. After a few moments, though, he just shrugged and walked out of the room.

"Where were we?" Rachel asked, looking at Quinn, distracted by Kurt's sudden presence.

"You wanted to know if you'd ever see me again," Quinn replied.

Rachel nodded and then asked, "Will I?"

"I guess that depends," Quinn replied,

"On what?" Rachel wondered.

"On if you want to see me again," Quinn answered.

* * *

><p>"Don't forget to bring the rolls!" Carole called out.<p>

"I've got 'em," Burt said as he walked into the dining room.

"Does everyone have a drink?" Carole asked.

There was a chorus of 'yeses' except for Finn who said, "I already drunk most of mine."

Carole gave her a son a look that Rachel imagined he got a lot. When she started to stand, though, Finn said, "I'll get it, mom. You should sit down; you've been working for hours."

Finn stood, nearly knocking his chair back as he did so, but he quickly righted it and gave a sheepish smile. Rachel laughed lightly at him, and when she looked up, she locked eyes with Quinn. Rachel gave her a soft smile and Quinn's lips quirked up for a moment, but then she looked away.

She wished she knew what Quinn was feeling at the moment, but the blonde wasn't the most open person she'd ever met. Rachel had done a lot of thinking in the past few hours and she'd made up her mind that she was going to talk to Finn before they left Lima. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to tell Quinn yet. They had both been helping Carole with dinner, and she hadn't been able to get Quinn alone to speak with her.

"Sorry," Finn said when he bumped into Rachel's chair on the way back to his seat.

"Okay, now that we've all sat down, I think we should go around the table and say what we're thankful for this year," Carole announced.

"Isn't that more of a Thanksgiving thing?" Kurt asked.

"Yes, but we didn't do it at Thanksgiving, so I think we should do it now," Carole replied. "I think it'll be nice." Carole cleared her throat.

"I'll start us off. I'm thankful for family. For a long time it was just me and Finn, and now here we are. I have a wonderful husband and stepson. And while Quinn is technically not my daughter, you're the closest thing I've ever had."

"What Carole said," Burt replied, holding up his glass.

"That's cheating," Kurt stated.

"Fine," Burt said. "All of what Carole said applies, but I'll add that I'm also thankful to be healthy. I've had a few scares over the years and frankly I'm just happy to still be here."

Kurt patted his dad's hand. "I, too, am thankful for my family, and of course for my dad working on getting healthy. I really don't know what I would do without you, so you better keep it up." Burt laughed and squeezed his son's hand. "I'm also thankful to you guys for allowing me to follow my dream. And that I'll finally be graduating in a semester."

"Believe me, we're thankful for that, too," Burt replied. "That school ain't cheap."

"I guess I'm next," Finn said. "I'm pretty much thankful for everything Kurt said. And I'm also thankful for my friends."

"I'll always be thankful to have a home," Quinn simply said when everyone looked at her.

"Well, I guess that just leaves me," Rachel said. "I'm thankful for my fathers, who have always encouraged me to go after my dreams, no matter how big they are. I'm also thankful that everyone here was so welcoming. I was a little nervous coming here, but I had no reason to be. You've welcomed me into your home when a lot of people wouldn't." Rachel smiled and she looked around, her eyes lingering on Quinn for a moment. "I guess I should say I'm thankful for new friends. So, thank you to every one of you."

"Can we eat now?" Finn asked.

Carole laughed and said, "Yes, Finn, we can eat now."

Finn and Burt both immediately grabbed for the nearest dish while Carole just shook her head at her husband and her son. Rachel couldn't help but laugh at the sight, and she noticed Kurt rolling his eyes. Quinn, on the other hand, looked completely unaffected by it, and Rachel had a feeling it happened at every dinner.

"You will have to ignore them," Kurt said.

"Actually, it's a little refreshing," Rachel replied. "My fathers are very proper at the dinner table."

Kurt hummed and said, "Maybe I'll have to join you all someday to see what polite company is like."

"We're polite," Finn mumbled.

"That would be more convincing if it wasn't said through a mouth full of food," Kurt replied.

Rachel laughed. "I'm sure my fathers would be more than happy to have you. They always ask me when I'm going to bring friends over. Maybe then they'll stop joking about how I'm ashamed of them and that's why I never bring any friends to meet them. Actually, are you going to be back in New York for New Year's Eve? They're joining me and Finn in Times Square."

"Yeah, you should come," Finn said.

"I was thinking about it," Kurt replied. "Although, the thought of having a bunch of strangers pressed up against me isn't very appealing."

"It is rather crowded, but I think it's something everyone should do at least once in their life," Rachel said.

"I may," Kurt replied as he handed a dish of green beans to Rachel. "I'll think about it some more."

"What about you, Quinn?" Rachel hesitantly asked. "What are your plans for New Year's Eve?"

"I haven't decided yet," Quinn replied.

"Well, you could always come to New York and join us," Rachel said.

Finn smiled. "Yeah, we could all go!"

"Maybe," Quinn replied.

"You'll never get an answer out of her," Kurt said, nudging the blonde with his shoulder. "She likes to stay aloof."

Quinn rolled her eyes. "I'm not aloof."

"Whatever you say," Kurt said, raising his eyebrows, obviously not convinced.

"Anyone want a roll?" Finn asked.

"No thank you," Rachel replied when he offered it to her.

"Oh, right, you can't eat this," Finn said. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Rachel replied.

Carole had been nice enough to make some vegan ham while everyone else was having the real thing. She did notice that both Kurt and Quinn had some of the vegan alternative on their plates, though, which made Rachel smile. She wasn't one to push her dietary beliefs on others, but it was nice to see that they were willing to try it.

"You know what?" Kurt said. "I think I will join you for New Year's."

Rachel smiled. "I thought you were going to think about it some more."

"I've thought enough," Kurt said with a shrug.

Rachel glanced at Quinn before picking up the bowl of corn. Kurt had been easy to convince to come along, and she hoped Quinn would be just as quick to change her mind. After all, it would be the perfect opportunity to see her again and it was less than a week away.

* * *

><p>"Need any help?"<p>

Rachel smiled at the sound of Quinn's voice and looked over her shoulder. "I'm almost done."

Quinn nodded and then took a few steps into the room. "I was thinking about what you asked earlier. If I wanted join you guys in New York."

"Oh," Rachel said, a little surprised Quinn was bringing it up. "What were you thinking?"

"I don't know if it's a good idea," Quinn replied as Rachel turned around to face her.

"Oh," Rachel said, unable to hide her disappointment. "Is it because Finn is going to be there?"

Quinn glanced away and Rachel knew she had her answer. She couldn't really blame Quinn; it was certainly an awkward situation to be in. And even if Quinn had told her not to feel guilty, she knew the blonde probably felt the same way on some level.

"I'm going to talk to him," Rachel softly said. "Tonight. Unless-unless you don't want me to. I mean, if it's going to make it weird to live here or if you're worried about—"

"Carole wouldn't make me leave," Quinn interrupted.

"Well, I didn't think it seemed like something she would do, but if you didn't want to risk it, I would understand," Rachel replied. "She's like a mother to you and I wouldn't want to be the reason your relationship with her was strained in any way."

Quinn shook her head. "I'm not worried about that."

"Okay, then, I'll talk to Finn, okay?" Rachel said as she took a step toward Quinn. "I'll just explain to him that while I value his friendship, and despite going on several dates, I'm not interesting in pursuing any sort of romantic relationship with him. And then I'll try to figure out a way to bring you up without completely hurting him. So, can we see how that goes before you decided whether or not to come with us to Times Square? I don't want you to do anything you're uncomfortable with, but I would love to have you there, Quinn."

Quinn sighed and then nodded. "We'll see."

"I'll talk to Finn whenever I see him," Rachel promised.

"Did I hear my name?" Finn asked, and Rachel looked over to find him stopped just outside the door.

"Um, yes," Rachel replied, glancing at Quinn. "I needed to speak with you about something."

"I'll go," Quinn said.

Finn frowned slightly as he watched Quinn turn and exit the room. When she was gone, he walked into the room and said, "I was just coming to see if you're ready to go tomorrow. We could always stay another day or two if you wanted."

"I'm almost done packing," Rachel said.

Finn nodded and motioned toward the door. "So what was that about?"

Rachel took a deep breath and slowly released it. She had planned on telling Finn when she saw him again, but she hadn't expected it to be so soon. She had never been in this situation before—she was usually the one being told they just wanted to be friends—and she wasn't sure the best way to proceed. She just knew she didn't want to hurt Finn, though that was probably going to be easier said than done.

"I, um, maybe you should sit down," Rachel said, gesturing toward the bed, and then quickly moving her suitcase over to give him room.

"Okay," Finn said with a frown. "What's going on?"

"Do you know how when you asked me to come here with you, I told you I was hesitant because I just wanted to be friends and that seemed more like a boyfriend and girlfriend thing?" Rachel began.

"Yeah," Finn replied. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No, you haven't done anything wrong," Rachel quickly said. "You've been great, but I've been afraid that you would read something into my coming here with you and the last thing I wanted was to hurt you." Rachel sighed and shook her head at herself. "I'm really terrible at this."

"Just say it," Finn replied.

"Finn, I'm sorry, but I've developed feelings for someone else," Rachel said. "And it may come as a surprise to you, but I like—"

"Quinn," he finished for her.

"What?" Rachel asked.

"You like Quinn," Finn stated.

"I—how did you know?" Rachel wondered.

"I may not be smart about some things, but it wasn't that hard to see," Finn replied. "And it's part of the reason I asked you to come with me."

Rachel frowned in confusion as she asked, "What?"

"I mean, I didn't want you to be alone on Christmas, but I also thought you guys might be good together," Finn said, shrugging. "When we were at Nationals and you were on stage, I remember looking over at Quinn and seeing her face. After I met you at school, it took me a while to realize that that was you, but when we were talking and you said your school won that year, I realized who you were."

"I—" Rachel shook her head, not really knowing what to say.

"It's okay," Finn replied. "I was kinda bummed when you said you just wanted to be friends because I really liked you, but then when you said your dads were going on that cruise, I figured why not ask you here? At least if you weren't interested in me, maybe you'd be interested in Quinn." Finn looked down. "I really screwed up in high school with her and I was hoping I could do something to make up for it."

"Did Quinn know this?" Rachel asked.

"No, and she'd probably kill me if she thought I was trying to set her up with anybody," Finn replied. "Which this wasn't really me trying to set you up. I just thought if you were here, maybe you'd hit it off. All I did was get you here."

"I really don't know what to say," Rachel said.

"Don't say anything," Finn said as he stood up. "Just don't hurt her, okay? She's been through a lot, and a lot of that was my fault."

Rachel shook her head. "I won't say anything."

"And you're not mad at me or anything, are you?" Finn asked. "Because I would've asked you here anyway. This was just, like, a bonus or whatever."

Rachel laughed lightly and said, "No, Finn, I'm not angry with you."

If anything, she felt like she should thank him. Not only did she not have to be alone for the holidays, but she found a few new friends and possibly something more.

* * *

><p><strong>As I said in the beginning, this is only seven chapters, so there's only one left and it'll be posted on Christmas Eve.<strong>


	7. Back to New York

**Chapter 7 – Back to New York**

When Rachel walked into the kitchen in the morning, the room was dark except for the light above the sink and Quinn was nowhere to be found. Rachel frowned as she looked toward the living room; it was unusual for Quinn to still be asleep, especially when she had gone to bed quite early.

After talking to Finn the night before, Rachel went looking for Quinn, but the blonde was already asleep on the couch. Or at least she assumed Quinn was asleep, though she had no idea how she'd drifted off so quickly. She'd whispered her name a few times, hoping she wasn't really asleep, but Quinn never responded and Rachel didn't want to wake her when they could just as easily talk in the morning. But now she wasn't in the kitchen like she usually was, and Rachel was beginning to worry she was avoiding her.

She didn't even know why Quinn would be avoiding her. She told her she was going to tell Finn; if it had been the other way around, nothing could have kept her from waiting up to find out what happened. Unless she thought Rachel didn't do it. Or maybe she thought she did but that Finn was mad. Whatever the case, Rachel was determined to speak with her, so if Quinn really was avoiding her, she was going to have a hard time doing it.

Rachel walked into the living room with her hands on her hips and turned on the lamp that set on the end table. Quinn immediately groaned and covered her face with her blanket. Rachel's first instinct was to apologize, but it was exactly what she was hoping for; Quinn was definitely awake now, though she had a feeling the blonde had been awake for some time.

"What are you doing?" Quinn asked.

"Well, you went to bed so early last night, and then you weren't in the kitchen this morning, so I wanted to make sure you were okay," Rachel said, raising her eyebrows slightly.

Quinn lowered the blanket and narrowed her eyes at Rachel. The blonde obviously knew she was lying, but Rachel didn't care. They needed to talk, and now that Quinn was up, they could do just that.

"So, I guess I'll see you in the kitchen in a minute, then?" Rachel said before turning on her heel and walking toward the other room.

Rachel walked to the coffee maker, grabbed the pot, and began filling it with water. As she went about making the coffee, she heard Quinn shuffle into the room and sit at the island with a sigh. Rachel wanted to turn around and start telling her everything that happened, but she'd promised Finn she would keep his secret, and she wasn't going to break that promise. So, she continued making the coffee, ignoring the fact that Quinn was sitting just behind her.

After the coffee was finally brewed, Rachel walked over to the cabinet to grab two mugs. Unfortunately, all the mugs on the lower shelf were gone and Rachel was much too short to reach the other ones. As she was looking around for a stool or chair, Quinn stood up and walked over to her, reaching them with ease.

"Here," Quinn said, handing one out for Rachel.

"Thank you," Rachel said, taking it from the blonde. "Sometimes it's not easy being vertically challenged."

Rachel looked up at Quinn, suddenly very aware of just how close they were standing together. Ever since she'd kissed her on Christmas Eve, she'd been thinking about doing it again, and when Quinn was standing this close to her, it was impossible to think of much else. She didn't know Quinn's thoughts on it, though, and she certainly didn't want to just spring it on her again, so Rachel reluctantly looked away, trying to think of anything else.

"Are you going to tell me what happened last night?" Quinn finally asked after a few moments.

"Oh, yes," Rachel said, backing away from Quinn. "I talked to Finn about it."

"Did he kick a chair?" Quinn asked.

Rachel frowned as she was reaching for the pot of coffee and looked at Quinn. "What?"

Quinn shook her head. "It's just something he did a lot when he was angry."

"No, he didn't kick any chairs," Rachel said, picking up the pot and filling her mug. "Actually, he wasn't angry at all."

"Really?" Quinn asked as Rachel began filling her mug as well.

"No, he took it very well," Rachel replied. "Apparently he listened to me when I said I was just coming here as his friend. He said he was disappointed when I said I just wanted to be friends, but he was very understanding."

"That really doesn't sound like Finn," Quinn said. "In high school he would get jealous over anything."

"Well, maybe he's grown up since then," Rachel replied as she stirred some sugar into her coffee.

Quinn still didn't look very convinced. Apparently she knew a very different Finn than Rachel knew. She knew he could be kind of immature sometimes, which is one of the reasons she couldn't imagine being in a serious relationship with him, but he'd been nothing but nice toward her. She definitely hadn't seen his jealous streak and she certainly hadn't seen him angry enough to take it out on a piece of furniture.

"I promise you that he is completely fine with this," Rachel said. "I told him that I have feelings for you and he was nothing but understanding. Actually, he had already figured it out."

Quinn's eyebrow rose. "Finn Hudson figured it out?"

"He said he could tell," Rachel replied.

"Okay, that I find even harder to believe," Quinn said.

Rachel lightly laughed. "Maybe you should give him a little more credit. I think he was okay with it because he just wants us both to be happy. I know he's made some terrible mistakes in the past, but I really think he's trying."

Quinn didn't say anything; instead, she picked her cup of coffee up from the counter and silently walked over to her usual stool at the island. Rachel looked over her shoulder, watching the blonde for a moment, and then picked up her coffee to join Quinn.

"I have two questions," Rachel said, setting her coffee down.

"What?" Quinn asked.

"What's your last time?" Rachel asked. "It occurred to me that I have no idea what it is."

"Fabray," Quinn replied, her jaw clinching slightly.

"And my second question is—does this mean you'll come to New York for New Year's?" Rachel asked, slowly smiling.

Quinn looked down slightly, but then looked back up at Rachel and said, "Yeah, I'll come for New Year's."

"Wonderful," Rachel said, smiling widely.

* * *

><p>"I hate that you two have to go today," Carole said.<p>

"I know, but I'll be back in a couple months," Finn replied.

"I know you'll be back, but when will Rachel ever come back?" Carole asked.

Rachel laughed. "I'm sure you'll see me again sometime. Finn and I will both be graduating in May, after all; I imagine you'll be attending the ceremony."

"Of course," Burt replied.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world, would we?" Carole said. "I'm just glad Finn and Kurt's isn't at the same time, but that also means we're gonna have to stay in the city for a week."

Rachel smiled. "Well, whoever graduates first can just play tour guide. You will definitely have plenty to see."

"That's very true," Carole replied, looking at Kurt. "I guess that means you'll be showing us around."

"Just as long as dad doesn't complain like the last time you were there," Kurt said, raising his eyebrow at his dad.

"Well, museums shouldn't cost that much," Burt replied. "It's crazy, and we were crazy for paying it." Burt shook his head. "All I'm saying is museums should be free."

"Don't worry, we won't go to any museums this time," Kurt said. "Lord knows I don't want to have to hear about it the whole time we're there again."

"I'm sure I can give Kurt some recommendations for you," Rachel said. "My fathers also might have a few suggestions that would be fun for you."

"Want any more fruit?" Finn asked.

"Yes, thank you, Finn," Rachel said, accepting the bowl from him.

"Hey, can I get some more of these pancakes," Finn asked, sitting up straighter as he looked around for them.

"Here," Quinn said, passing them across the table.

"Thanks," Finn replied, shoveling several of the pancakes onto his plate.

Rachel looked across the table at Quinn, who had been rather quiet all morning. She'd asked her earlier if she was okay, but the blonde told her she was fine, so Rachel had dropped it. She really wanted to ask her again, but she didn't want to draw the attention to Quinn. Plus, she had a feeling she would get the exact same answer as earlier even though something was obviously off with her.

"When are you leaving, Kurt?" Burt asked.

"I changed my flight to Wednesday afternoon," Kurt replied. "I still have a few days."

"Good," Burt said. "Maybe we can spend a little time together now that the holidays are over."

"What about you, Quinn?" Carole asked. "Did you ever decide if you're going to New York?"

"Yeah," Quinn replied. "I'm going."

"Well, I'm sure you kids will have a lot of fun," Carole said.

"But not too much fun," Burt said, pointing at them with his sausage laden fork. "I don't want to wake up at 3am because some cop's calling and telling me I need to come bail you out of jail."

"When has that ever happened?" Kurt incredulously asked.

"There's a first time for everything," Burt replied.

"Don't worry; I'm sure my fathers would be willing to come get us," Rachel joked. "And it would be great material for the memoir I plan to write one day."

Quinn shook her head, laughing lightly, and Rachel gave her a smile as Finn said, "I don't think some book is worth spending a night in jail."

"Of course not," Rachel replied. "My fathers would never make me spend a whole night in there. Naturally, I would have to embellish a bit for my memoir, though. It could be in the chapter about my rebellious phase that I plan to have some day."

"Are you being serious?" Finn asked, furrowing his eyebrows together.

"No," Rachel said, laughing. "Well, I'm mostly joking. I do plan on writing a memoir one day, and it _would_ make an interesting story for it, but I would rather not get arrested just to have a colorful anecdote to tell."

"I was arrested once," Carole announced.

"Mom!" Finn said.

"What?" Carole asked. "It was the eighties; we all did things then that we weren't proud of."

"I hear you on that one," Burt replied.

"I don't want to know," Kurt said, holding his hands up.

"I kinda do," Finn replied.

"Maybe when we're not eating breakfast," Carole said. "And when we don't have a guest."

"And when I'm not here," Kurt added.

Rachel smiled; she was definitely going to miss this. She loved her fathers and couldn't wait to see them, but she'd had a great week at the Hummel-Hudson household. It was nice having more than just three people at the breakfast table, and it was certainly livelier around there than at her fathers' place.

"Does anyone need anything from the kitchen?" Carole asked. "Do you want any more orange juice, Quinn?"

Quinn shook her head and said, "I'm fine."

"I could use some more," Finn said.

"Well, that's a given," Kurt replied.

As Carole stood up, Rachel looked over at Quinn again. She was moving her eggs around her plate with her fork, eventually setting the fork down and sitting back in her seat. Rachel glanced at the three guys, but they were in conversation, so Rachel scooted down in her chair slightly and nudged her foot against Quinn's leg.

"Are you okay?" Rachel whispered when Quinn looked up.

"Yeah," Quinn answered.

Rachel titled her head, giving Quinn a skeptical look. "Are you really or are you just telling me that so I'll stop asking?"

"What are you two talking about?" Kurt asked.

"Nothing," Rachel hurriedly answered.

"You had to be talking about something," Kurt replied.

"I was just asking Quinn where she was going to stay when she comes to New York," Rachel lied.

Kurt looked at her for a moment before saying, "Fine."

Rachel once again glanced over at Quinn, who raised her eyebrow slightly and then quirked her lips up in a barely-there smile.

* * *

><p>"Is that everything?" Finn asked.<p>

"Yes, that's everything," Rachel replied, glancing around to make sure she really did have everything.

"I'll take them to the car, then," Finn said, lifting her bag up.

"I'll be out there in a few minutes," Rachel replied. "I just want to say goodbye to someone."

"Tell Quinn I say 'bye'," Finn said, giving Rachel a crooked smile.

Rachel smiled back and said, "I'll be sure to."

Rachel passed by Finn and walked into the living room and then into the kitchen, but she wasn't in either room. As she was turning to leave, though, something outside caught her eye, and she stopped to look out. Quinn was sitting on the picnic table, looking up at the sky as the snow lightly fell around her.

Rachel didn't have her coat on, but she opened the door and walked out into the cold, nevertheless. She wrapped her arms around herself as she walked over to Quinn, who was silently watching her.

"Mind if I join you?" Rachel asked.

"Do you really have to ask?" Quinn asked back.

Rachel shrugged and said, "It's only polite."

Quinn brushed the dusting of snow off the picnic table and Rachel took that as her invitation to sit down. Together, they sat there for several minutes, not saying a word. Everything was so peaceful in the backyard and it made Rachel hate leaving all the more. She knew it would never be that quiet back home, so she was enjoying it while she could.

"Are you leaving?" Quinn asked after a few minutes.

"Yes," Rachel replied. "Finn's waiting on me."

Quinn nodded and then said, "Can I see your phone?"

"Um, sure," Rachel said, pulling it out of pocket, and handing it over to Quinn.

As Quinn started tapping on her phone, Rachel leaned over to see what the blonde was doing, and then smiled when she realized Quinn was putting her information into her contacts. It was one of the reasons she'd come out there; she'd realized she didn't have Quinn's phone number, and she would rather ask Quinn herself than ask Finn for the number. But apparently she didn't have to ask at all.

"Text me when you get home, so I'll know you made it there," Quinn said.

"I promise," Rachel replied with a smile as she pocketed her phone.

"I changed my flight," Quinn announced. "I'm going to fly in with Kurt on Wednesday."

"If you let me know the details, I'll gladly meet you two at the airport," Rachel said. "I mean, I'm aware Kurt knows his way around, but I would still like to come. And I'm sure Finn would like to as well."

Truthfully, Rachel just wanted to see Quinn again as soon as possible, but she was going to leave that unsaid. She had scared off several potential suitors away in the past because she'd been too intense, and she didn't want to risk doing that with Quinn. The blonde seemed like a very independent person, and Rachel was afraid of coming across as too needy.

"I'll let you know," Quinn replied.

Rachel nodded and said, "So, may I ask why you were sitting out here?"

"I like it out here," Quinn softly replied. "It's quiet."

"It is nice," Rachel agreed.

Quinn looked over at her and she frowned as her eyes drifted down a bit. "Why aren't you wearing your coat?"

Rachel shrugged. "I noticed you out here and I didn't want to take the time to get it."

"Here," Quinn said, rolling her eyes as she tried to take her own coat off.

"But then you'll be cold," Rachel replied, reaching out to stop Quinn. "I'm fine, Quinn. I promise."

"Is that why you're shaking?" Quinn asked.

"It's nothing I can't handle," Rachel replied. "An actress has to be prepared for anything. Maybe I'll have to film a scene outside in the cold and I'll look back on this as preparation for it."

"I thought you wanted to be on Broadway?" Quinn said.

"I do, but I wouldn't mind filming a movie or two," Rachel replied. "Broadway is my dream and will always be my priority, but between shows, I would like to do a few other things. Other than the aforementioned movies, I would also like to do television, and, of course, an album." Rachel smiled at Quinn. "I'm hoping to be the youngest person to get an EGOT."

"Why am I not surprised?" Quinn asked.

"Really, I would like to have it by the time I'm thirty, but I would settle for simply being the youngest," Rachel added.

"I think Finn wants you to hurry," Quinn said, nodding toward the house.

Rachel sighed when she looked over and saw him at the window. "I guess I really should go; I told him I was just going to be a few minutes."

"Yeah," Quinn replied.

Rachel looked over at Quinn again and said, "You know, when Finn invited me, I had no idea you were going to be here, but I'm really glad you were."

"Me too," Quinn replied. "I almost stayed in New Haven."

"I'm not going to say goodbye since I will see you in four days," Rachel said, standing up from the picnic table.

Quinn glanced toward the house, and Rachel followed her gaze, but Finn was gone. A moment later, Quinn tugged on the front of her hoodie, pulling Rachel toward her. When Rachel's legs hit the bench and she couldn't be pulled any further, Quinn leaned forward, bringing their lips together. Rachel let out a slight moan the moment their lips touched, which only seemed to spur Quinn on more. The blonde pulled her even closer, and Rachel had to put her hands on Quinn's thighs to keep herself from falling completely forward.

Quinn's lips were cold against hers and her hands were even colder when she placed them on Rachel's cheeks. Just as Rachel was about to part her lips, Quinn slowed kissing her until she finally pulled away, placing one more kiss in her lips.

"You should go," Quinn whispered, her lips brushing against Rachel's.

"I know," Rachel replied with a light sigh.

"Four days, right?" Quinn said.

"Right," Rachel replied, leaning forward, and giving Quinn one last kiss.

* * *

><p>With her elbow propped up on the door and her head leaning against her hand, Rachel watched the scenery pass by. They had only been on the road for a little over an hour, but she was already counting down the minutes until they were back in the city. Unfortunately, they still had many hours to go, so she wasn't going to be there anytime soon.<p>

Rachel glanced over at Finn as he nodded his head to the music. Every now and then he would begin singing along, but the ride had otherwise been mostly quiet. Finn looked over at her, giving her a smile when she glanced over again. His smile faltered, though, and he shifted in his seat, sitting up straighter, and putting his other hand on the wheel.

"You okay?" Finn asked. "You're being really quiet."

"Yes," Rachel automatically replied.

"You can change the music if you want," Finn offered. "I know you're not really into 80's rock."

"It's fine, Finn," Rachel replied. "I'm sure you're not a fan of the music I listen to, either."

"No, but we did listen to my stuff on the way home, so, really, it would be fair," Finn said.

"To be honest, I wasn't really listening to the music," Rachel replied.

"Oh," Finn said, furrowing his brows. "So, what's wrong, then? Is it Quinn? Did you guys, like, fight or something?"

"No, we didn't get in a fight," Rachel said, unable to contain her smile at the mention of the other girl's name.

"Does that mean you two are going out now?" Finn asked.

Rachel shook her head. "No, it would be far too fast for that. We haven't even gone on our first date, yet."

"So you're going to go on one?" Finn asked.

"We haven't exactly talked about it, but I'm kind of hoping we'll be able to go on one while she's in New York," Rachel replied. "She hasn't said how long she's going to be there, but hopefully there's enough time for it." Rachel glanced over at Finn. "Are you sure you're okay talking about this?"

"Yeah," Finn said, shrugging. "I mean, it's a little weird since I've been out with both of you, but whatever."

"When you and Quinn dated—never mind," Rachel said, shaking her head.

"What?" Finn asked.

"It's not important," Rachel replied.

She was going to ask about what Finn and Quinn's relationship was like in high school, but she decided she didn't want to know. She really didn't want to think about them together even if there were no feelings between them now. She knew she had no right, but she couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy when she thought about them dating. From everything she'd heard, they sounded like the perfect couple when they were together.

"You sure?" Finn asked.

"I'm sure," Rachel replied.

Rachel put her head against her hand again and looked out the window. It hadn't snowed nearly as much where they were currently passing through, so the scenery wasn't as pretty as that around Lima. It was all she really had to do, though, so she continued staring out the window until her phone vibrated in her pocket.

"Is that her?" Finn asked.

"Yes, it's Quinn," Rachel answered.

Rachel smiled at Quinn's text asking if she was being subjected to terrible music. Rachel replied with 'Of course' and set the phone in her lap, awaiting Quinn's reply,

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" Finn asked. "There's a rest stop coming up."

"I'm fine," Rachel replied.

"Well, I kind of gotta go, so is it okay if we stop?" Finn asked.

"Yes," Rachel replied.

"I just know you don't like making a lot of stops," Finn said. "I promise it'll be the last for a while. I just had that Big Gulp earlier and I feel like my kidneys are gonna burst."

"Your bladder," Rachel corrected.

"Yeah, that," Finn said, slowing down as he began to pull off the interstate.

There were barely any open parking spot at the rest stop, so Finn pulled into one far away from the building. He put the truck in park and pulled his keys out, asking, "You sure you don't have to go?"

"Yes, but I may stretch my legs a little," Rachel replied, unbuckling her seat belt.

"I'll be right back," Finn said.

Finn got out and began jogging toward the building while Rachel opened her door and began walking in the immediate vicinity. It was cold out, but not nearly as cold as it had been when she was sitting on the bench with Quinn.

'_Where are you now?'_

'_I'm not entirely sure. Finn had a Big Gulp, so we're currently at a rest stop.'_

'_Sounds familiar. He always did the same on our Glee trips.'_

Rachel leaned against Finn's truck as her finger hovered over her phone. She reread Quinn's text several times as she tried to figure out what she wanted to say. After a few minutes, she finally typed out a short text and hit send.

'_How is everything there?'_

'_A little boring, actually.'_

'_Really?'_

'_Yeah. It's too bad you're not here.'_

Rachel smiled to herself and glanced over her shoulder at the sound of footsteps.

"You ready?" Finn asked as he walked up to the truck.

"Yes," Rachel replied, hesitating for a moment as she sent a reply.

'_Four days.'_

Rachel opened the door and hopped in the truck as Finn started the engine. As he began pulling out of the parking spot, her phone vibrated in her lap and she immediately picked it up.

"Everything okay?" Finn asked, glancing at the phone.

"Yes," Rachel replied with a smile. "Everything is wonderful."

* * *

><p><strong>I would like to thank everyone who has read and especially those who have commented along the way. I've had more fun writing this than anything in a long time and I'm sad it's over.<strong>

**Speaking of which, some of you have already asked about a sequel and I'm sure even more will ask now that it's over. I'm definitely not opposed to writing one, but it'll be a while before it happens. There's a good chance if I do it, it'll be this time next year and will pick up with their New Year's. If you all can wait that long, I'll be happy to write it.**

**I hope you all have a good holiday.**


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